Book 6 - Comedy and Tragedy
by GailDunn2
Summary: An unexpected promotion to God for a day produces both positive and negative results. A surprise for Gail nets Sam and Dean a new Hunter friend. Castiel's return from the dead comes at a high price.


BOOK 6 - COMEDY AND TRAGEDY

ACT I - AS YOU LIKE IT

Castiel looked at Bobby and Gail. "How long until sunrise?" he asked them.

"That's a good question," Gail said. "Sunrise where? America? Asia?" She grinned. "Jupiter?"

"Beats me," Bobby shrugged.

"I know," Cas said. "The centre of the universe. Well, of our universe, anyway." He took Gail's hand and she understood. Where else? They had watched a very beautiful sunrise there a while back prior to a very different adventure than the one they were about to embark on.

"Can you meet us at the bunker?" Cas said to Bobby.

"We'll be waking up Sam and Dean," Bobby said. "Dean gets really cranky when you wake him up early, just so you know."

Castiel's mouth twitched. "Believe me, I'm aware. That's why I'm asking you to go first."

"Careful, Cas, you're not God yet," Bobby retorted, but he was grinning. He thought that Dean could suck it up once he found out why they were coming back for another visit so soon.

"Tell him I'll make it worth his while," Cas said enigmatically.

"Will do," Bobby replied, and winked out of the office.

Castiel turned to Gail. "I know it's very early, or maybe it's very late, but do you think Chuck might be at the library?"

Gail smiled. "You know, he might be. I think he practically lives there."

"Let's find out," Cas said. "I want to talk to him for a minute."

Chuck was indeed at the library, and he rushed to open the door when they knocked. He was grinning widely. "I was hoping you two would stop by," he said. "We all heard you were back, and Bobby, too." He extended his hand to Cas. "I don't know how you did it and I don't care. It just proves the old saying is true: You can't keep a good man down."

Castiel took Chuck's hand and they shook. "I just wanted to thank you for all your support," he told Chuck, "and Kevin, too."

Chuck was still smiling. "You can tell him yourself. He's here, and so are the rest of them."

Castiel was puzzled. "The rest of them?"

"Yeah. The ABH. They all started to come here when word got out. We were hoping you would come when you had time."

"The ABH?" Cas repeated. "What's that?" He looked at Gail.

That's right, she thought. He wouldn't know. There hadn't been time to talk about it. Everything had happened so fast after they received their verdicts, and then they had been separated and she hadn't had the chance to tell him about it.

"It's a group Chuck formed to stand against Xavier. The initials are for Angels for a Better Heaven," she explained to him.

"Though Gail came up with a much better acronym," Chuck said, smiling at her. He told Cas what it had been, and Cas threw back his head and laughed. He put his arm around Gail and gave her a squeeze. "Good one," he told her. "You'll have to share that with Dean."

"Come on, let's say hi to the rest of the group," she said, leading the way to the reading area.

As she and Castiel approached the group of Angels that were assembled, they all stood up and applauded. Gail was amused at the look on Castiel's face. They had done this when she had visited that one time, but this particular reception was a lot more enthusiastic due to their triumphant return.

Castiel was a little taken aback by the warm welcome. He had felt isolated and alone throughout most of the tribunal. Though he'd known that he and Gail had a few friends at the proceeding, this mass show of support was a bit overwhelming.

"Speech! Speech!" Kevin called out, grinning.

Cas was puzzled. Did Kevin mean him? He looked at Gail and she smiled, making a gesture. Go ahead, Cas, say what's in your heart.

The Angels were looking at him expectantly, and he cleared his throat. "I don't know what to say," Castiel said softly. That was definitely true. They were waiting for him to continue. What could he say? What did he want to say?

"Thank you all for your support," he told them. "Bobby is back now, and I expect things will probably carry on as they were before."

"What about the board?" Chuck asked.

Castiel frowned. What about the board? Soon he would be God for the day, and it would be up to him to decide their fates. He had no idea what to do with them. There had been a number of reasons he hadn't wanted God's job, and a situation like this was one of them. He'd barely been able to make decisions for himself throughout the years, and many of them had turned out to be the wrong ones. Whatever else the tribunal had been, it had served as a reminder of that. And though he was doing much better in that regard these days, Castiel had a lot of human qualities and emotions doing battle inside him now. A part of him wanted to punish them as they had punished him, make them suffer what he had so they could see what it felt like. But then he'd be no better than Xavier, or Jason. He couldn't just let it go, though. They needed to be shown that their way of thinking was the old way, and it was the wrong way. He needed some time to deliberate, talk to his friends and to Gail. That was why he had asked Bobby to go to the bunker. They could await sunrise there, and he would seek all of their input and advice.

"About that," Castiel said in answer to Chuck's question. "Could I talk to you, Kevin, and Ethan for a moment?"

As the latter two Angels came over to join him, Castiel turned back to the rest of the group. "Thank you all again. You'll have to excuse us, we have something to take care of."

He motioned to the men, and they walked with him and Gail back to the front entrance of the library.

"I wonder if the three of you could do me a favour," Castiel said to them.

"Sure, whatever you need," Kevin said.

"Could you keep an eye on the board, make sure everyone stays where they are until I'm ready to go and talk to them?" Castiel was thinking of Jason and Aurielle. They had already gotten away, and he wanted to make sure that the rest of them didn't get any ideas. He told the men this now.

Ethan frowned. So Jason had gotten away. What a coward, he thought. Ethan had arranged to have another guard cover his shift when he'd heard that Castiel and Gail were back. He'd been amazed to find out that Castiel was somehow alive. Newer to Heaven, Ethan had not realized that dead was not always dead in their world; although sometimes it was, too. Castiel must truly be a special individual. Ethan was now convinced that he had chosen the right side. But what were they going to do about Jason? he asked Castiel.

Cas frowned. He was worried about Jason being at large also, and about Aurielle. But he could only address one situation at a time. "First things first," he told Ethan. "Let's just worry about the board, then when they're dealt with, we'll talk."

Gail also wondered what they were going to do about the two Angels who had gotten away, both of whom still posed a very significant threat. But she agreed with Cas; God in a couple of hours or not, he could only deal with one thing at a time. She thought it was a good idea to keep an eye on the board members, though. The last thing they needed was for any of them to decide to take off, as well. Cas needed to...what? She didn't know, either. She did know he had to be wrestling with himself over the decision. Whatever he decided, she would support him; but what would he decide? And if he asked her for her opinion, what should she say?

Castiel hesitated for a moment, then decided to confide in Chuck, Kevin and Ethan. They had been three of his most staunch supporters throughout the ordeal, and they had been so kind to him and Gail. He was mindful of his Father's last words to him, and of his own resolve to have a more inclusive attitude when it came to his friends.

So he told them about the gift his Father had given to him; he would be God soon, for the next 24 hours, and it would be up to him to decide the board's fate.

Chuck whistled. "Wow," he said. "It's a good thing we're not still enemies. I'd be toast."

Cas smiled at that. Chuck could have a point. He was going to try to be a good God, but he wasn't a Saint. Maybe a little smiting might be in order for certain individuals. He said this to Chuck, and Chuck laughed. He really did like Cas now. Chuck thought that Gail had been a positive influence on him.

"We'd better get going," Gail said now. "Cas has a very busy day ahead of him." She hugged each of the three male Angels in turn. "Thanks, you guys," she told them. She hadn't forgotten their kindness to her when she had lost her mind after Cas's death. They were very lucky to have such good friends in Heaven. Up until now, except for Bobby, their only real friends had been Dean and Sam. And though their human friends would always come first, it was good to know they had Angels they could count on, as well.

"Call me on Angel Radio if any of them tries anything," Cas said to the men. "Otherwise, we'll be back in the morning. I have a couple of things to take care of first."

Then he took Gail's hand and they vanished from the library.

They reappeared in the bunker a moment later. Bobby, Sam and Dean were sitting at the table, waiting. Sam and Dean were dressed in T-shirts and sweats, and their hair was tousled. Bobby had clearly roused them from their beds, and though they already had coffees in front of them, they looked bleary-eyed and grumpy.

"Hey, Cas, hey, Gail," Sam said wearily.

"This had better be good," Dean grumbled, yawning. He took a big gulp of his coffee. Damn Angels, he thought. Since they didn't sleep, apparently they didn't want anybody else to, either.

"Don't get us wrong, Cas, we're glad you're alive," Sam said, yawning too, "but what was so important that it couldn't wait a couple more hours?"

Cas looked at Bobby in surprise. He would have thought that Bobby would have told them why they were being woken up pre-dawn.

"You didn't spoil my surprise, so I figured I wouldn't spoil yours," Bobby said, shrugging.

Oh. Cas guessed he appreciated that, he just wished he had a more receptive audience. Well, he'd better get to it; Dean looked like he was about to drop off again.

"Our Father gave me a gift," Cas announced. "As of sunrise, and for the next 24 hours, I'll be God."

That got Dean's attention, and he sat up straighter. "What? Why?" he asked Cas.

"What do you mean, 'why'?" Gail asked Dean. She was a little annoyed at him. Cas makes this big announcement, and all Dean has to say is Why? Wasn't he happy for his friend?

But Cas was looking thoughtful. "I don't really know, Dean," he said soberly. "I guess he's testing me, to see what I'll do. He told me it would be up to me to decide what to do with the board."

"I know what I'd do," Dean growled.

Cas smiled, appreciating the inference. That was why he needed to deliberate; a not inconsiderable part of Cas felt exactly the same way.

But Sam was looking at Cas speculatively. "An entire day, huh? What else do you plan to do?" he asked Cas.

Cas looked at him, still smiling. "Oh, a few things," he said evasively. He took Gail's hand and led her to the table, pulling out her usual chair for her. Once she was seated, he took his usual seat beside her. "You'll find out, come sunrise."

Sam and Dean exchanged glances. Interesting.

"Which is about half an hour from now," Bobby said. "And in the meantime, there's something I've been needing to get off my chest."

They all looked at him curiously.

Bobby took a deep breath. He didn't want to bring down the room, but he needed to come clean with his friends, and since they had some time to kill anyway, he figured he'd get it over with now. Before he lost his nerve.

"There's something I never told you," he began. "Something in my past. I'm not very proud of it, but I'm not exactly ashamed, either. But since I'm back now, I wanted to start with a clean slate. I had a relationship with a woman a few years ago that I never told you about." He paused. It was hard for him to say. This wasn't exactly going to go over big with Sam and Dean, but Cas would be the most upset, he was sure. He'd better get it over with before Cas had the power to smite him.

"Who was it, Bobby?" Sam asked warily. He'd ordinarily have been happy for Bobby. He'd been lonely after his wife died, and he deserved to have someone in his life. But why was he being so hesitant about telling them, and why was he only telling them now?

Then he found out.

"It was Rowena," Bobby blurted out. There. Let the chips fall where they may; at least he'd finally been honest with them.

Sam and Dean were fully awake now. "Come on, Bobby!" Dean exclaimed. He couldn't be serious. "Rowena? Crowley's mother? The biggest b-" he gave Gail a quick look " - witch in the world?"

"If you were trying not to offend me, I don't know why you were worried," Gail said mildly. "She WAS a bitch, and I'm glad I killed her." Bobby gave a slight wince, and Gail added, "Sorry, Bobby." But she wasn't really sorry, and they all knew it. She was sorry if Bobby's feelings were hurt by that, but he knew what Rowena and Crowley had put them all through, right? Hopefully, Bobby couldn't blame her for the way she felt, or for what she had done.

Bobby didn't, but his feelings on the subject were complex. A part of him still loved Rowena and always would, but he also regretted having taken up with her in the first place, especially since he knew how his friends would feel about it.

Cas was doing the slow burn. Why had Bobby never told them about this? OK, he knew why; because the very thought was repulsive and disgusting. How could Bobby have...Rowena? How could he expect them to accept this?

Bobby saw the way that Cas was looking at him and, while it had been totally expected, he still bristled. "Look, Cas, I didn't know who she was then," he said uncomfortably. But Cas raised an eyebow. Really, Bobby? So Bobby hastily amended, "OK, yeah, I knew she was a witch. But I didn't know she was Crowley's mother."

Sam and Dean were appalled, but they were also prepared to believe that. Cas might or might not believe it, but he didn't really care.

"How could you, Bobby?" He spat the words out. They had dedicated their lives to the eradication of evil, and Bobby had been consorting with one of the worst sort of women in existence.

"I don't know," Bobby said, frowning. He felt shame, but he was also starting to get angry. "When you're in love, you don't stop to think about the other person's history sometimes. You just feel what you feel."

Cas glared at Bobby. He had better not be talking about himself and Gail, or they were going to go right now, no matter that they were friends. Or which of them was God at the time.

Bobby was stricken by Cas's thought. He hadn't been meaning to suggest..."No, Cas, I didn't mean anything by that. I just thought...Oh, hell, I don't know what I thought. I don't really have any excuses." Nor do I necessarily think I need any, he thought but did not say. Better to leave that alone for now.

"Did she maybe put a spell on you, Bobby?" Sam asked quietly. He was hoping that was the case. Bobby had been like a father to him, and it was hard to think of Bobby with a woman like Rowena. That could be a valid excuse, at least.

Bobby was startled. He honestly had never thought of that. Had she? A part of him preferred to think that wasn't the case, but it could certainly explain things.

"I don't know, Sam," he mused. Then he remembered. "Actually, she gave me a book I was going to give to you guys," he said, including Dean in his comment. "It's still in my desk." At least, Bobby was under the impression that the spell book was still there. He had no idea that Xavier had taken it, and it was now in the hands of Aurielle, who was here on Earth, plotting her next move.

"What kind of book, Bobby?" Sam asked him.

"Looked like a spell book of some sort," Bobby answered. Out of the corner of his eye, Bobby saw Cas open his mouth to speak, and Bobby held up his hand. "And before you say anything, Cas, I didn't know what it was when she gave it to me." He explained the circumstances of his discovering the present from Rowena, and the fact that he had kept it for a few years in its unopened state. "And as soon as I decided to open it and saw what it was, I was going to bring it to you boys, and tell you all about it. But we got a little sidetracked, didn't we, Cas?" he said pointedly.

Cas got what Bobby was trying to say. He already knew about the spell book, of course. Xavier had shown it to him way back before the tribunal, advising Castiel that he intended to confront Bobby with it to impeach him. Cas had been hoping at the time that there was a more benign explanation for the existence of the book in Bobby's desk, or that the inscription had been one of Rowena's little jokes. But it had been this incident which had prompted Cas to state that he would take the Office if Bobby was impeached, to prevent Xavier from taking it. That statement had committed Castiel to undergo the tribunal. He felt angry when he thought about this, but he also reminded himself that Bobby had been imprisoned in Lucifer's cage at the time and so he would have been unable to answer to the impeachment. So even though it rankled him to think of Bobby having had a relationship with Rowena, perhaps a little compassion was in order here due to that fact. They had both been through a lot recently.

Cas sighed. "All right, Bobby. I hear you. We've all made mistakes in the past. And I suppose there was no harm done."

Well, how mangnanimous of him, Bobby thought. But it was almost sunrise now, and Cas would soon have bigger things on his plate. So Bobby would let it go for now.

"Sunrise in 5 minutes, Cas," Sam told him. He had his laptop open and was watching the time, much as Gail had done before they went to Las Vegas.

Gail smiled at the memory, but Cas still had a look on his face. She wished that Bobby had picked a better time to tell them what he had. Now Cas was thinking about that, when he should be concentrating on himself and what he wanted to do for the next 24 hours. But what was done was done, and if they needed to discuss it some more in the future, they could.

She stood and extended her hand to Cas. "Want to go watch the sun rise?" she said to him, smiling.

He answered her smile with one of his own. Cas also remembered that morning, and it was a good memory. He had been feeling apprehensive about being human that weekend, based on his less-than-positive experience as one in the past. But Gail had taken him by the hand then, and when they had gone outside to watch the sun come up, he'd known that everything was going to be fine. Now she was giving him her hand and her support again, and he appreciated both.

Cas stood and took her hand, then he looked down at Sam and Dean. "See you in a minute," he said to them.

"Will we have to kneel, or anything?" Dean quipped.

"Seeing as it's you, I'd consider it," Cas deadpanned, and they all laughed, even Bobby. He and Cas had had their ups and downs ever since Bobby had become God, but Bobby had to admit that he generally liked Cas more now than before. He seemed more human, and though Bobby wished Cas could curb his temper a bit, he was certainly a lot funnier than Bobby remembered. And he would be God for a day in about 3 minutes, in effect giving Bobby the day off and absolving him of the responsibility of deciding what to do with the board. So Bobby should probably be thanking him.

Gail and Cas laughed again, and then they vanished out of the bunker.

An instant later, they were outside, watching the sun come up. The view was just as spectacular as it had been the morning of the day they'd flown to Las Vegas for their holiday with Sam and Dean, but the mood this morning was a bit more subdued. Castiel still appreciated the beauty of the sight, but the weight of responsibility of being God descended on his shoulders in counterpoint to the sun coming up, and he squeezed Gail's hand.

"You'll do fine," she assured him. "You're a good Angel, and a good man. You'll know what the right thing is to do."

They looked at the sky's radiant colours for another moment, and then he turned to her. "Well, I guess that's it. I guess I'm God now."

"Funny, you don't look any different," Gail teased, "I thought you'd look older, or something."

"Just wait till the end of the day," he said with a half-smile.

She touched his face. "You'll be fine," she said again, more firmly this time. She knew how nervous he must be, and Gail wanted to boost his confidence. Her gesture worked as it always did, comforting and calming him. Castiel now knew what the first thing was that he needed to do. He had made it a priority a while back, but as Bobby had recently pointed out, Cas had gotten sidetracked by the tribunal and all the drama surrounding it. The board would just have to wait a bit longer.

Cas put his arms around Gail and drew her to him. "Remember our last sunrise here?" he asked her, smiling gently.

"Like I could ever forget," she responded. "Are you looking for a repeat?"

She was teasing him, he knew, but suddenly Cas realized that might be just the right way to start his day. "Would you mind?" he asked her, his smile widening.

"No, I think coffee and breakfast might be a good idea," she said innocently. Now she was definitely teasing. They both knew very well that was not what he was talking about.

Cas leaned down and they shared a very human kiss. His arms tightened around her for a moment, and then he reluctantly ended the kiss.

"As much as I'd like to just do this all day, I guess I'd better get to it," Cas said, smiling down at Gail. But he didn't let go of her, wanting to enjoy their physical contact just a moment longer. They had been put on trial, then separated, and then he had been executed. Surely he deserved another moment to enjoy being this close with her.

Gail felt the same way. She'd never take moments like this for granted again, if she ever had. She kissed him softly on the cheek and said, "Seriously, can you make it so I can at least enjoy coffee this morning?" Teasing again. She'd do this all day long too, but they'd better get moving.

Cas smiled, releasing her. "I don't see why not," he said casually. "I am God, after all." He reached out and put his hand on her forehead. A white glow emanated from his hand, then disappeared. "There," he said. "Now you can eat and drink if you choose to today." His smile widened into a grin. "But you won't need to urinate. I know how much you hated that."

Gail laughed, and she took his hand. "Let's go get me that cup of coffee, then."

The men were in the kitchen when Cas and Gail came back into the bunker. Sam had put on a fresh pot of coffee, and he was rooting around in the fridge, taking out a few things to make breakfast for himself and Dean.

"I hope you have enough, 'cause I'm starving," Gail said to him, relieving him of the carton of eggs he had in the crook of his arm.

Sam looked at Gail in surprise. "Gift from Cas," she told him, smiling.

Right. Cas was God now. Dean eyed him curiously. "How's it feel?" he asked Cas.

Cas smiled at Gail. "Pretty good, so far," he said. She returned his smile, putting the carton of eggs down on the counter and helping herself to a cup of coffee.

"Really, Gail?" Dean teased her, smirking. "God?"

Gail smiled at Dean over the rim of her cup. "Hey, go big or go home," she retorted, then took a drink of coffee, savouring it. She raised her mug to Castiel. Thanks, Cas.

She and Sam made breakfast, and it smelled so good that Bobby wanted to get in on the act. He hadn't thought he missed eating all that much, but he felt like sharing a meal with his friends this morning. He had been lonely and isolated in Lucifer's cage, despairing of ever seeing them again. Then he had been in the mental hospital, and the self-examination he had done there had prompted him to realize he couldn't go it alone. He and Cas had actually shared a lot of the same kind of introspection in their respective cells.

So Bobby asked Castiel to confer the gift upon him, and Cas did. But he left in the part about needing to urinate. Cas smiled to himself somewhat mischeviously. Gail was special, and life wasn't always fair.

"What about you, Cas?" Sam asked. "Will you be eating, too?" Gail paused in the act of taking the utensils out of the drawer, waiting for his reply.

Cas deliberated for a moment, then said, "No, I don't think so." While he had enjoyed his coffee and the occasional meal as a human, he could take it or leave it, quite honestly. And he wanted to stay focused; he had a lot to accomplish today.

Sam and Gail were bringing the food to the table now, and when all of his friends were seated, Castiel said, "Sam, Dean, I'm going to do something for you."

Dean brightened up. This was more like it. "What's that?" he asked, trying to sound casual, as Gail handed him the platter of bacon.

"I'm taking a leaf out of Bobby's book," Cas said lightly, but he winced inwardly as he said it. Perhaps that had been a poor choice of words, considering what Bobby had just shared with them before sunrise.

But Bobby was digging in and hadn't seemed to notice, so Cas continued, "I'm going to have Kevin visit your bank account and make a deposit."

Sam smiled. "Donations are always gratefully accepted," he said to Cas. He'd always said that Hunting didn't exactly pay the bills, and that was certainly true. He and Dean had often resorted to methods with questionable ethics attached just to stay afloat.

"How much would you need?" Cas asked them.

"About a million ought to do it," Dean said around a mouthful of food.

"Done," Cas said, smiling.

Dean stopped chewing and looked at him. He'd been kidding.

But Cas wasn't. He knew about the methods the brothers had had to use to keep themselves going, and many of them were wrong. He'd looked the other way all these years because they were helping people and their scams had been borne of necessity. But now, as God, Cas had the power to put a stop to it and reward Sam and Dean in the process. Why would he not do that for them?

Sam put his fork down. "Are you serious, Cas?" he asked his friend, astonished.

"Yes," Cas confirmed. "It'll be in your account later today."

Sam looked at Dean, and slow smiles started to form on their faces. They'd both felt a little guilty about the things they'd had to do to make ends meet, and now they wouldn't have to do them any more. Sam was already thinking about certain investments he could make to grow the principal.

Dean being Dean, he couldn't resist. "Shoulda asked for twenty mil," he moaned.

Gail elbowed him. "I believe the word you're searching for is 'Thanks'," she admonished him, smiling.

"Thanks, Cas," he said obediently. "Yeah, thanks," Sam also said. "We really appreciate that."

Castiel smiled at them. He was happy to be able to do that for his friends. Maybe being God had its perks, after all. But after today, Bobby could have it back. There were still some hard decisions ahead, and he wasn't looking forward to that part of the job.

In the meantime, though, he had to take care of that priority item. It was something he had to do alone, so now was a good time for it, while the others were having breakfast.

Cas moved over to where Gail sat and put his hands on her shoulders. She turned to look up at him, pausing in the act of buttering a piece of toast.

"There's something I have to do now," he said to her. "You stay here and enjoy breakfast, and I'll be back soon."

Gail was curious, but she didn't ask. He got like this sometimes, and they were so close now that she knew he'd tell her later. Maybe it was something he didn't want to say in front of Bobby. Technically, Cas had Bobby's job right now, and maybe he was being discreet.

So she nodded. "OK, Cas, I'll be here," she said. He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek, then gave the men a wave and he was gone.

"I wonder what that was all about?" Bobby mused aloud.

Dean shrugged. Angel, human, or God, that was Cas.

Castiel appeared at the crossroads and stood there, sending the message, one Original to another, and a moment later, Crowley appeared.

"Here to talk about Metatron? Good," Crowley said.

But Cas was shaking his head. Crowley was right, they would have to talk about Metatron, but not now and not today.

"No," he said. "But something equally as important. I want you to get Frank and bring him to me. It's time."

Crowley looked at Castiel incredulously. "Oh, so you ask, and I just obey? Is that the way you think things are going to be now? Just because I had a regrettable moment of weakness, you think you can just - "

Castiel interrupted him. "It's because of what you did for me and Bobby that I'm meeting with you this way," he said mildly. Then his tone sharpened. "I could have just come down there and taken him."

Crowley was amused. "Really? You think so? I don't see Bobby anywhere."

"I don't need Bobby," Castiel replied evenly. "I met you here as a courtesy, but if you continue to resist, I will come there and liberate Frank, with or without your cooperation."

Crowley eyed him warily. He'd known he was going to regret bringing Castiel back, and his Brother was trying his patience. He was long used to Castiel's enigmatic way of speaking, but it drove him to distraction sometimes. "And just how do you think you're going to do that?" Crowley shot back. "Only God can - " Castiel smiled slowly then, and Crowley felt a shiver. No. It couldn't be.

"That's right," Castiel said, though his Brother hadn't voiced the question.

"What happened to Bobby?" Crowley asked, puzzled. Had he gone to the trouble of curing Bobby for nothing? If there had to be a God, and unfortunately, there did, Crowley had wanted it to be Bobby. If he had to deal with Castiel as his opposite number for eternity, one of them would end up killing the other before too long. That was just how their relationship worked; prolonged contact was best avoided.

"Nothing," Castiel said in response to Crowley's question. "In fact, he's enjoying a meal with Gail and the Winchesters right now. Father gave me the gift to be God for the next 24 hours, effective this morning. So I'm here for Frank, and I intend to have him."

Crowley sighed. So that was it. Castiel had been given a gift, and now he wanted to bring home a big present for his girlfriend. He guessed being God wasn't enough to win a woman's eternal admiration these days.

But he wasn't going to make things that easy for his Brother. Truth be told, Frank didn't really mean anything to Crowley any more. He was just an ordinary Demon now, one of the rank and file, nothing special. Crowley hadn't even seen Frank since the day he'd briefly brought Gail's brother to Earth, dangling him as bait to entice the Angels to show up for Jason to capture. But Crowley was annoyed at Castiel. Why should he just hand Frank over? Just because Castiel asked? Actually, he wasn't asking, he was demanding. The nerve of him. So he was God for a day, so what? Hadn't Crowley done him the ultimate favour just recently? What more did he want?

Crowley stalled while he considered whether he wanted to consider the request. "What happened to Xavier and the rest of them?" he asked. Actually, he really wanted to know. He hoped that Bobby had put Xavier in his place. Crowley had helped Xavier out of necessity at the time, but he was secretly glad that Xavier and the rest of those snooty, uptight bastards were getting the boot.

"Nothing, yet," Castiel answered soberly. "It will be up to me to decide their fate later this morning."

Crowley was amused again. He knew his Brother well, knew the struggle he must be having with himself. Despite the poison pen he had used in writing the Affidavit, Crowley knew that Castiel was too disgustingly good to do what he himself would have done. And really, what should be done. If Castiel let them off the hook, they would see that he was weak and to be taken advantage of. On the other hand, Crowley knew that his Brother had a sharp edge to him sometimes. You could shave your face smoothly with a razor but if you turned it slightly the wrong way, it would cut you and you would bleed.

"So are you going to be a vengeful God?" Crowley asked him casually. But he really wanted to know the answer.

"Maybe," Castiel replied. He knew what his Brother was looking for, but he was not going to get it. "Or maybe I'll be a loving God. The way I'm feeling right now, it could go either way. So I wouldn't test me if I were you." He smiled grimly.

"How is she?" Crowley asked now, taking him by surprise. Despite himself, Cas's smile turned genuine. Even though it was Crowley doing the asking, Castiel was always happy to think about Gail. And since it was Crowley who had brought about their reunion, Castiel supposed he could give him an answer.

"She's wonderful," he replied. For a brief moment, he and Crowley looked at each other almost like the Brothers they were, and then Castiel stopped smiling. "So are you going to bring Frank to me, or are we going to have a problem?" he asked Crowley.

Crowley sighed again. He was being stubborn, he knew; there was no longer any point in hanging onto Frank. And if he wanted an alliance with Castiel to get rid of Metatron, Crowley supposed he could open the purse strings a little.

"If I bring him to you, what are you going to do with him? He's a Demon," Crowley pointed out. He hadn't been lying to Sam; he really did have the ability to take the Demon out of Frank. But why should he tell Castiel that? Crowley didn't need to give up the whole farm here. Let his Brother figure out how to deal with Frank.

"And I'm God," Castiel replied shortly.

Bollocks. Crowley had forgotten. Well, that was it, then. Castiel would also have the power to restore Frank to human status.

"Wait here," Crowley said. He knew that Castiel was serious about storming into Hell, and Crowley didn't want him there. Once there, he might run around liberating souls right and left. Crowley had already lost the Werewolves, and he had lost a few more prior to that. Chuck had even turned good guy now. Crowley was not going to risk losing any more souls to his loose-cannon Brother.

Castiel contemplated telling Crowley he had one minute, but he restrained himself. It seemed like Crowley was going to be compliant, and he didn't want to push it. Crowley liked to act as though everything he did was because he wanted to and if pushed, he could turn around and refuse just out of spite. And Castiel didn't want to have to kill him so soon after Crowley had brought him back to life, and back to Gail. He owed his enemy for that. So he waited as patiently as he could as Crowley vanished and then reappeared with Frank in tow a few minutes later.

Frank was confused. This was the second time that Crowley had just shown up suddenly in the boiler room and spirited him away to Earth, but Crowley had not provided any sort of explanation either time. He'd had a brief but ultimately painful reunion with Gail last time, and he had been trying to figure out a way to help her ever since. But Frank's good intentions had amounted to nothing, and he'd had no idea how she was doing or what was going on. Now here he was, back on Earth, and there was no Gail, just Castiel standing there, calmly regarding him. Was Gail OK?

"Yes, she's fine," Castiel said unexpectedly. Frank was startled. He hadn't said anything out loud. But of course, Castiel was God right now and even though Frank was a Demon, he had been able to read Frank's thoughts. Castiel was gratified to hear that even though Frank was a Demon of Hell, his first thought was of his sister and her well-being. Highly unusual for a Demon, but Gail had told Cas that her brother was more or less himself when she'd seen him last. That was when they had had the argument that had prompted her to storm out of their motel room. Castiel had maintained that Frank was a Demon and as such, he and Gail could never be reunited. And while Castiel had been right, he had also been wrong. Frank had received a raw deal, and Castiel meant to put things right. Gail deserved to have her brother back, and Frank deserved another chance.

Castiel glared at Crowley. His recent good deeds notwithstanding, Crowley was solely responsible for this situation. Castiel's body started to tremble with the urge to snap his fingers and obliterate Crowley once and for all. Castiel was God now, and he had the ultimate power. He could easily do it. But then he had a vision of Raphael testifying against him at the tribunal, and even though Crowley had been behind that too, the message in Raphael's testimony had not been lost on Castiel. Having this much power had gone to his head before, and he meant to never let it do so again. Cas had to focus on what he had come here for.

He looked at Frank. "I'm here to rescue you from Hell and reunite you with your sister," he told Frank.

Frank was shocked. Was he serious? After all this time, was that even possible? He looked at Crowley involuntarily for confirmation.

"Yes, yes, it's all very heartwarming," Crowley said testily. He looked at Castiel. "I trust you can take it from here."

Castiel nodded.

They looked at each other for another moment. Crowley seemed to be hanging back for some reason. If he was waiting for a Thank You he was going to wait for eternity, Castiel thought. Crowley had killed Frank and Gail's parents, kidnapped the siblings, killed Frank and then later turned him into a Knight of Hell. Not to mention that Crowley had also tried to seduce and corrupt Gail, and had come uncomfortably close to succeeding. Castiel would sooner see Crowley put him back in his grave than to thank him for something he never should have taken in the first place.

"I will contact you about Metatron," Castiel said stiffly.

Crowley nodded coolly. He was being dismissed. Another round to Castiel. What else was new?

"Give your sister a kiss for me," Crowley said nastily to Frank. He was still the King of Hell, and if Castiel thought he would just go meekly, his Brother didn't know him very well. "You can give her one too, if you like," Crowley said to Castiel, smiling. "I suspect you might be doing that a fair amount these days."

Castiel gave him a sharp look. What did he mean by that? Crowley was smiling benignly enough, but Castiel knew him well, and Cas was highly suspicious. Did he know something about their recent intimate moments? How could he?

Crowley waggled his fingers at Castiel. He did so enjoy playing with his Brother's head. It was so easy. He was a sucker when it came to Gail, and his love for her would one day prove to be his undoing. But that was a thought for another day.

"Goodbye, Castiel. We'll talk soon," Crowley smirked, then vanished. He had not bothered to acknowledge Frank. Crowley no longer cared.

Castiel approached Frank then, but he did so cautiously. Frank could do nothing to him, he knew, especially since he now had Godlike powers. But Cas had not seen Frank since that day in the den when Frank had driven a knife into his chest, and the human part of Cas was still having a little trouble letting that go. But Gail had advised that Frank had some decency in him, and Cas was prepared to believe it. Even though Gail naturally loved her brother, she knew right from wrong, and when Frank had killed Castiel as a Knight of Hell, Gail had done the right thing by killing her own brother. But the last time she'd seen this version of Frank, Gail had insisted that Frank's heart was no longer as black. Was he worth saving?

That was why Cas had told none of his friends where he was going. If Frank was beyond saving, Castiel would just cast him back down into Hell, and Gail need never know they had had this encounter.

"How are you, Frank?" Cas asked him in a soft voice.

Frank looked startled by the question. "I'm a Demon. How do you think I am?" he retorted.

Cas almost smiled. He could hear a lot of Gail in Frank's answer. But he wanted to remain serious for now, at least until he had decided what to do here.

"How do you feel about being a Demon?" Castiel asked him calmly.

"It sucks," Frank said, frowning. "I hate Crowley, and I hate Hell. And the pay is crap."

Castiel turned sideways and tried to control his mouth, which was twitching furiously now as he tried not to smile. He was starting to like this guy already. He struck Cas as a weird combination of a male Gail with a little Dean thrown in.

"How do you feel about Angels?" Cas said, rearranging his features into what he hoped was a stern expression.

Frank shrugged. "I can take them or leave them, to be honest," he told Cas. Yeah, he and Dean were going to get along famously. "I know you're one, and Gail is now too, I guess. So I guess they're all right. But I just want my old life back. Hunting is the only thing I've ever known, the only thing I was really good at. I've been playing for the wrong team for a while, but at least I'm not killing for Crowley any more. Thank God he didn't ask me to do it. I'd have had to refuse." He looked at Castiel, hoping his sister's friend could recognize his sincerity. "I'm hoping you meant what you said about reuniting me with Gail and rescuing me from Hell. I know I'm still a Demon, but I'm done with Crowley. You can kill me if you don't believe me."

But Castiel did believe him. He had used his Godly powers to look into Frank's heart and his mind, and he knew that Frank was sincere. Although how he could feel that way while still being a Demon was beyond Castiel's understanding. He had never seen anything like it before. Maybe, like Chuck, once Frank had decided to let go of his bitterness and rage, he had started on the road to redemption. Maybe it was his love for his sister that had helped keep him from turning dark again. Cas smiled inwardly. Well, she was certainly lovable.

So Castiel said to Frank, "I'm going to put my hand on your head now. It'll probably feel strange, but try not to move until I'm done."

Frank looked at him but said nothing, and Cas put his hand on Frank's head as he'd advised. The white glow came out of Cas's hand and enveloped Frank's body. Cas kept his hand there for a few minutes. Then Frank opened his mouth and heavy black smoke issued from it, filling the air around them and then finally dissipating.

The white glow faded and when it was completely gone, Castiel looked at Frank's face closely. "How do you feel?" he asked Gail's brother.

"Good." Frank smiled. "Really, really good. For the first time in a long time." He looked into Cas's eyes, and Cas noticed that Frank's eyes were a warm brown, like Gail's. "Thanks, Castiel," Frank said. "Thanks a lot."

Castiel smiled. "Call me Cas," he told Frank. "All my friends do."

Frank nodded. "OK, Cas. Can I ask you a question?"

"Yes, Frank?"

Frank smirked, but his eyes were twinkling. "Just what exactly is going on between you and my sister?"

Cas looked at him, startled. But he could see that Frank was teasing. He and Gail obviously shared the same DNA.

"Well, I am her big brother, you know," Frank continued. "I have to make sure that any guy I meet is good enough for her."

Cas smiled and put out his hand. This family was going to drive him crazy, he thought with a grin. But he'd hop on board. "Pleased to meet you," he said as he and Frank shook. "I'm God."

It was worth having to see Crowley again so soon just to see the look on Frank's face.

Castiel sent the call out to Gail on Angel Radio. Please gather everyone in the library area. He was coming back with a big surprise. And she might want to be sitting down.

They had finished breakfast by now, and Gail had risen to help clear, but Bobby waved her and Sam back down. "You guys cooked, Dean and I will clean up." Dean looked at him, but Bobby scowled. "It won't kill ya," he said to Dean. Bobby began to roll up his sleeves as he approached the sink. He'd missed this; hanging out with the boys, doing normal things. And Gail was a nice addition to the family. She was just the right combination of sweet and tart, and she fit in well with them, Bobby thought. She and Sam and Dean acted like siblings, and she clearly loved Cas to pieces. He felt like a father to all of them, which Bobby supposed he kind of was, since he was God. Or would be again tomorrow, after Cas had had his turn.

He and Dean were just finishing up the dishes when Gail got the call. She and Sam had remained in the kitchen and they were all bantering back and forth when Gail held up her hand. "Wait a minute, fellas. Cas is sending me a message."

Bobby was puzzled. He may not be God at the moment, but he was still an Angel. Why had he not heard it? Gail was a junior Angel and didn't have her own frequency. Or did she? Maybe that was one of the perks God had mentioned when he'd talked about Gail being bestowed with Original powers. Or were she and Cas so close now they were communicating telepathically? He smirked.

So they all gathered in the library to await Cas's return.

"I wonder what the big surprise is he's bringing?" Sam said.

"Maybe it's a '70 Dodge Charger," Dean said to him. "Then you can have the second coolest car in our garage."

Gail smiled at them both. "I don't know why I'd have to be sitting down for that," she said.

"Have you ever seen a '70 Dodge Charger?" Bobby joined in, smiling also. He looked at the brothers and rolled his eyes. "Women."

"Oh, that's right, you're not God at the moment," Gail teased Bobby. "So you don't know what I'm thinking right now. Phew."

They all laughed, and it was at that moment that Castiel appeared in the library. And he had Frank with him.

The laughter cut off as they all stared at Frank. It was a good thing that Cas had advised Gail to sit down. The shock hit her like a wave.

"Hi'ya, kiddo." Frank smiled at Gail. Then she saw his eyes, and she launched herself out of the chair and ran to him, throwing her arms around him. She was so enthusiastic in her embrace she'd nearly knocked him over, but Frank didn't mind. He wrapped his arms around her for a real hug. Gail was crying now, bawling her eyes out. They were happy tears, of course, and Frank's eyes filled, too.

Castiel was beaming as he watched them. This might be the best feeling he'd ever had in his entire existence. If moments like this were all there was to being God, he'd do it for all eternity. He looked at Bobby then, and their eyes met. Bobby gave him a nod. Good one, Cas. God had forbidden Bobby from rescuing Frank, or he would have done it, but clearly Cas had laboured from no such restriction. Either that, or he'd just done it anyway. That wouldn't surprise Bobby one bit.

Sam and Dean were having a little trouble holding it together. They'd been in on this situation from the very beginning. They had had to bury Frank, and they'd suffered along with Gail when she'd grieved for her brother. Then there was the anguish when they all discovered that Crowley had dug Frank up and turned him into a Knight of Hell, and the guilt they'd felt at not having burned his bones in the first place. Then they'd had to watch Gail kill her own brother in Crowley's den, to avenge Cas's death and to protect them all from him. And then Crowley had dragged Frank out of Hell when Cas and Gail were on the run from the tribunal in an effort to flush the Angels out for Jason to apprehend. Gail had had a brief reunion with her brother then, only to have him cruelly snatched away from her again. He'd been different that day, almost friendly, and Sam and Dean had wondered what was up with that. It had devastated Gail to see her brother acting like the man she'd known in life but still a Demon. But he didn't look like a Demon now. He and Gail were crying openly, and looking at each other as if expecting one or the other to disappear at any moment.

"So you're an Angel now, huh?" Frank gently teased her. "Funny, if anybody had asked me, that wouldn't have been my first guess."

"Oh, har har," Gail retorted. "Demon would have been my first guess for you."

They laughed, then Gail said, "Seriously, are you OK now? Are you - "

"I'm back to being a human," Frank assured her. "Cas brought me back all the way. Clean slate." Gail looked like she was going to start crying once more, and Frank didn't think he could take that again, so he said, "I've gotta talk to you about your boyfriend, though. Surely you can do better."

"Careful, I might have to have him smite you," Gail retorted. She was smiling again, Frank was glad to see. A little brotherly teasing had done the trick.

Gail looked at Cas then, who was still grinning. Lord help him, now he had two of them, he thought. But he found he didn't mind. He didn't mind one bit.

Gail launched herself into Cas's arms now, and he wrapped his arms around her in return. "Thank you," she said against his chest.

He said nothing, just continued to hold her. A lump was forming in Cas's throat now as he realized the enormity of what he'd just done. He remembered Bobby telling him that Bobby's hands were tied when it came to Frank, but Castiel had never stopped to wonder if that was supposed to extend to him, he'd just gone ahead and done it. But his Father had told him to act as he saw fit, and he could think of no righter thing to do than what he had just done. He didn't give a damn whether he'd been allowed to do it or not. Just look at them.

Gail pulled out of the embrace and her eyes were shining, not with tears but with joy. Her face told him all he needed to know about the rightness of his decision.

"You don't ever have to get me a birthday, Christmas, or anniversary present for the rest of our lives," she said to him, smiling.

"But I will," he told her, then he smiled, too. "Just as soon as you tell me when your birthday is."

"You'll have to pick a date for yours, seeing as you've had a few," she teased back.

"And the anniversary?" he prompted.

"Good question," she answered. "We'll come back to that later."

Sam and Dean looked at each other. Anniversary? they mouthed. What were these two talking about now?

Bobby saw them and smiled. That's right, they hadn't been there in Heaven, when God had remarked that Cas and Gail may or may not be married. They still weren't sure which.

Gail grabbed Frank by the arm and pulled him over to Sam and Dean. "And now I'd like you to actually MEET my brothers from another mother," she said to Frank. She introduced him to the Winchesters as if the men had never met before; in reality, they kind of hadn't, Gail thought, reasonably enough. They'd only seen the real Frank for a moment as he lay dying, and the rest of the time he had been a Demon, not her brother.

The men shook, and then she introduced Frank to Bobby. It was a good thing that Cas had given Frank a brief rundown on the situation before bringing him here, or Frank would have been incredibly confused. Two Gods, one Angel, two Hunters. And now Frank made it three. He couldn't wait to have a beer and swap stories with Sam and Dean. That's if they wanted to, of course. He hadn't forgotten how they might feel about him, considering what had happened in Crowley's den. But he could see how Gail felt about them, and they had obviously taken good care of her and welcomed her into their circle. Frank hoped they would accept him as a friend, in time.

Sam and Dean thought they might be prepared to do that. They'd talk to him for a while, anyway, find out what he was all about.

And they'd be getting the opportunity right now. As Bobby, Frank and Gail were talking, Cas took Sam and Dean aside.

"Can Frank stay here with you?" he asked them. "Bobby and I have to go back up to Heaven and take care of that business with the board." He made a face. He'd intended to ask the brothers for their input, but now Cas realized he didn't need it. The confidence he'd gained from following through on his decision about Frank had raised Castiel's spirits and now he felt he could handle it on his own. But: "I'd like to have Gail with me," he said to them, "but I'll understand if she wants to stay here." He looked over at her, laughing at something her brother had said and giving him a playful shove. Maybe Cas should not even give her the choice. How could he pull her away from her brother when he'd just reunited them? But Castiel was only going to be God for one day; she'd have the rest of eternity to spend time with Frank now.

She saved him from the dilemma. When Cas went over to where she was standing, Gail gave Frank a kiss on the cheek and told him, "I'll see you soon." Then she took Cas's hand. "Ready to go?" she said to him, as Bobby came over to join them.

"Are you sure?" he asked her. "You and Frank just got back together, and..."

"Yeah, and he's already starting to get on my nerves," she joked, giving Frank a wink. He rolled his eyes, smiling. Sisters.

Gail looked at Castiel. "I told Frank you have some very important stuff to do today, and I need to be with you for support. We'll have the rest of eternity to catch up now, thanks to you." She was looking at Cas with such admiration he felt warm all over. This was exactly the feeling he needed going in to deal with the board, and he appreciated her giving it to him.

Then Gail looked at Sam and Dean. She'd seen Cas talking to them, and she figured he'd been asking them to make Frank welcome. She hoped they'd all get along. Once the beers started to flow and they started to swap stories about Hunting, she thought they'd be fine. She loved them all for a reason; they had a lot in common.

"And besides, I have the feeling the testosterone level in here is going to be unbearable," Gail quipped. Sam and Dean smiled at each other and then looked at Frank. He smiled too, and then Gail knew everything was going to be fine.

She took Cas's hand with one of hers and Bobby's hand with the other, and they vanished from the bunker.

Frank gaped after her. OK, that was going to take a little getting used to.

Dean walked up to him. "No matter how many times they do that, it always kind of freaks me out," Dean said to Frank. Then: "I know it's early, but this has already been a big day and we've been up since before dawn. And what the hell, it's happy hour somewhere, right?" He went to the fridge and pulled out three bottles of beer.

"It's happy hour for me all day long today," Frank said to him, smiling. "I've got my life back, and Gail is happy and doing fine. What more could I ask for?"

"A '70 Dodge Charger?" Sam grinned, teasing Dean.

"Man, I'd love one of those," Frank said, accepting the beer from Dean. "Or a '67 Impala."

Sam and Dean exchanged another glance. They had the feeling that Frank was going to fit in just fine.

Bobby, Castiel and Gail appeared in the corridor just outside the boardroom. Chuck, Kevin and Ethan were standing outside. They'd been keeping watch, but none of the board members had even budged. Perhaps they feared that God was still around, and they'd been too afraid to test Him by trying anything.

"Thanks," Cas said to the men. "I'll take it from here."

They started to leave, but Cas caught Kevin by the arm and made his request for Kevin to enhance the Winchesters' bank account.

Kevin whistled. "Remind me to stay on your good side," he quipped, smiling.

Castiel would ordinarily have smiled back and made some rejoinder about the next round being on Dean, but he was strung too tight about confronting the board, so he just nodded thanks and went back to join Bobby and Gail.

They could see how nervous he looked. Bobby said, "This is your show, Cas. I'm just here for moral support. Whatever you think is best, I'll back you."

Cas gave him a tight smile. He appreciated what Bobby said, but he still didn't know what the right thing was to do. Hopefully, it would come to him when they walked into the room.

He took Gail's hand and they entered the boardroom. The Angels all looked at them expectantly, then past the trio, as if expecting God to be behind them.

But it was just God in the form of Cas. He brought Gail to the end of the table where God normally sat, then hesitated. His first decision. He wanted Gail to be sitting beside him, wanted to be holding her hand, but he should really sit in God's seat, give these guys a shock. He looked at Gail, all the earlier confidence gone. If he could not make this one simple decision, how was he going to decide the fates of six individuals?

Gail could see the indecision in his eyes and she wanted to help, so she pulled out the chair at the end for him to sit in, as he'd done for her so many times. "Your seat, I believe," she said, nodding to Castiel. Sit down; this is your seat today, her eyes said.

So Castiel sat, and Gail drew up a chair to his left while Bobby sat at his right. Once Gail was seated, she looked at Cas again. Now that he was sitting in God's chair, he looked a little more like himself. She smiled in encouragement, then sat back and looked at the board members.

They were all looking at Castiel as if he'd just killed a puppy or something, Gail thought with amusement.

"You're sitting in the wrong spot," Xavier said to Castiel.

Cas smiled faintly. "Am I?"

Xavier looked at Bobby then, who smirked back at him. "What is this? What's going on?" Xavier asked.

Bobby said nothing, he just nodded his head at Cas. He'd meant what he said. This was Cas's party; Bobby was just here for the show.

"Our Father gave me a little parting gift," Castiel told Xavier and the rest of the board members. "He made me God for today and told me I could deal with you all as I saw fit."

Castiel looked at their faces and saw fear. Not that he could blame them. They had persecuted him, and Gail, and had put him to death, forcing her to watch. The human part of him felt hatred and resentment towards these men. He had known them for centuries, and they had always ostracized him and made him feel like a second-class citizen, even though he was the highest-ranking Angel of all of them. Not that it mattered any more. If he had ever bought into Heaven's caste system, and Angels like this certainly did, Castiel would just bust them all down in rank. Maybe he should do that anyway; it meant nothing to him, but it would surely mean something to them.

Cas opened up his mind and tuned in to the thoughts of each board member. Each of the men had his own way of looking at things.

Daniel and Gregory seemed the least objectionable. They both had feelings of extreme guilt now, and were regretting having voted the death penalty against Castiel. In truth, they had regretted it as soon as the verdict was announced at the tribunal, but it was too late then to take it back. That was why they had elected not to attend the execution; each was sitting in his office at the time it was taking place, praying and asking for forgiveness. Castiel also knew that these two had been inclined towards lenience for Gail, too. When Xavier had tried to convince the board to vote the death penalty against Gail for Count 7, they had flatly refused to even consider it. And yes, Castiel now knew that Xavier had actually tried to coerce the board into putting Gail to death on the morals violation simply out of spite, and they'd be talking about that in a minute, Castiel thought grimly. But for now, he was going to focus on the disposition of each board member individually.

Castiel looked at Daniel, then at Gregory. They were both looking at him with expressions of sadness rather than hostility.

"May I say something, Brother Castiel?" Daniel ventured.

Cas almost smiled. That was the most respectful tone any of them had ever used when addressing him. He guessed it took the fear of God, literally, to bring it out in them.

"Speak, Daniel," Castiel said. He had better not think of anything amusing now; he wanted to stay stern so the board would take him seriously.

Daniel looked at Gregory, who nodded to him as if in encouragement. Then Daniel looked at both Castiel and Gail. "Gregory and I would like to say we are both sorry for our part in all of this. We would take it back if we could. We have prayed for your forgiveness, and will give you our resignations immediately following this meeting."

Castiel stared at both men a bit longer. Then he looked at Gail. "What do you think?" he asked her softly.

She was a little surprised that he was asking her. It was Cas they had voted to put to death, not her.

"You and I are in this together," he answered her thought. "They put us on trial together; we should decide together."

That gave Gail a very warm feeling. They had been partners for quite a while now, but the fact that Cas thought enough of her to ask for her opinion here in front of everyone made her feel very good.

"What do I think?" she repeated, giving him a small smile. "I think: Better late than never."

Castiel nodded. She was confirming what he himself had been thinking. Some compassion might be in order in the case of these two, or at least, leniency. They were sheep, who had been led by Xavier's forcefulness to vote something they hadn't really believed was right.

"You may go," he said to Daniel and Gregory. "Leave your letters of resignation with Bobby's receptionist and clean out your offices."

They looked at him for another moment. That was it? Castiel gave both Angels a brief nod. Yes, that was it. There would be no further punishment for the two of them. They left the room quickly, not sparing a glance for the other board members. Daniel and Gregory were done with Heaven's politics. Whatever assignments they were to receive next, they would gladly accept, and would never sit in judgment of anyone ever again.

Xavier was glaring at Castiel. Of course, he'd had had a sour expression on his face since Cas had sat down in God's chair, but his expression had now darkened.

"Problem, Xavier?" Castiel said coolly.

"I suppose we have no choice but to accept that you are God at the moment, seeing as our Father has inexplicably put you temporarily in the seat of power," Xavier said to him. "But I do not see why you have to involve the woman in your decision-making process."

"I have a name, Xavier," Gail said dryly. "And it doesn't begin with a 'w'," she couldn't resist adding.

Xavier looked at her, puzzled.

"Rhymes with 'more'?" she said, with a combination of sweetness and sarcasm.

Castiel averted his head to look at Bobby. He wished she wouldn't have done that; now he had to fight not to smile. And Bobby wasn't helping. Bobby hadn't been there when Xavier had called Gail a whore at the tribunal, but he got the inference, and Bobby was grinning.

Cas composed himself, then turned back to look at Xavier. "Yes, she does have a name," he said to Xavier, "and Gail is my partner. You will speak to her with respect." But even as he said it, Cas realized that it was no use. An Angel like Xavier would never deign to treat a woman as an equal. The only way that Xavier treated them both equally was to hate them both. What was the point of even trying? But his blood started to boil. He'd better leave the decision about Xavier till he'd had a chance to cool down.

Gail slipped her hand into Cas's and gave his hand a squeeze. She thought it was very sweet of him to stick up for her like that with Xavier, although she too knew it would do no good. Xavier looked at her as if she were a housefly, a pest that he could just wave away with his hand. Truthfully, most of the board members had been looking at her that way, most especially the four that were left. Gail gave Bobby a brief glance. Maybe she should have a little chat with him about womens' rights after all this was over. Actually, that might not be necessary; Bobby had always treated her very well, and she had the feeling that he didn't so much care what gender you were so much as the type of person you were. Or Angel, as the case may be.

Castiel continued to hold onto Gail's hand, relishing the look of disgust on Xavier's face. Like Gail, Cas wondered why Xavier was so upset to see such a simple and pure show of affection. He'd known this man for centuries, but Cas now realized he knew absolutely nothing about Xavier personally. He'd never cared to know anything before. Xavier had always treated Castiel with contempt, so why would Cas get to know him as an individual? Then he decided he didn't care. Whatever bee was in Xavier's bonnet, it had nothing to do with Cas and Gail. They'd live their lives as they saw fit, and today, Castiel would make sure that Xavier would not be around to hurt them any more.

He looked at Lanister now, who was shooting daggers at Gail with his eyes. Castiel knew from hearing Lanister's thoughts that he had not only not forgiven Gail for having killed his son Aaron, but that he never would. Lanister had planned to have Jason visit Gail's prison cell after Castiel's body was interred, and he was going to instruct Jason to take his time before killing her. Lanister had wanted to vote the death penalty against Gail on her Count 7 charge, but Daniel had refused and Xavier had agreed to back off, agreeing to Lanister's condition that Gail be forced to watch Castiel's execution. Yes, Lanister was bitter and angry over losing his son, but Gail had explained the circumstances that day when she was on the stand. Aaron's death had been unfortunate, but Gail could not be blamed for it. While both Gail and Castiel regretted that they'd had to take the lives of those Angels, they'd had no choice. Lanister had the right to be upset about the death of his son, but his thirst for Gail's blood in return both disturbed and enraged Castiel.

"Lanister," he said, "have you anything you wish to say to Gail?"

Lanister shifted his gaze from Gail and fixed Castiel with a baleful glare. "I have already said all I have to say," he said coldly. "She is a killer, and neither of you should be sitting here right now."

"Be that as it may, we are," Castiel said quietly. Gail gave him a look. She knew that tone. That was his dangerous voice, the one that signalled he was about to lose it. "I ask you again, Lanister," Castiel continued, "do you have anything to say before I speak again?" Ideally, he was looking for an apology, but he would settle for any trace of remorse from Lanister at what he had put Gail through.

"All right, Castiel," Lanister said, "if you insist." He looked at Gail again. "You have escaped justice for the time being," he said to her, "but Jason will see to it that you do not do so for long."

Castiel immediately let go of Gail's hand, fearing he would squeeze it too hard. "Is that a threat?" he said quietly.

"More like a promise," Lanister said, smiling thinly.

"I am placing a call to the prison right now," Castiel said to him. "You will be taken there immediately, and executed in the morning."

What?! Gail and Bobby looked at each other, wide-eyed. Then Gail looked at Cas. He couldn't be serious. He had to be just screwing with Lanister, trying to scare him as Lanister had been trying to scare her. And quite frankly, it had worked. She was well aware that Jason was out there somewhere. Gail had once told Jason that she wasn't afraid of him, but she had been lying. He was arguably the worst one of them all, and he would relish the opportunity to torture both her and Castiel for a good long time before he killed them, especially now that Castiel had returned from the dead.

But as Gail looked at Castiel, she saw that his jaw was set and he was staring coldly at Lanister. Cas's hands had closed into fists, but he didn't look like he was fighting his temper to her. It looked like his mind was made up, and that scared her more.

"Cas, I need to talk to you outside," she said softly. "Now."

He looked at her curiously, and she was taken aback. Gail had never seen his eyes that colour before, and she had looked into them a lot. They were more purple than blue, and they were cold.

But he spoke to her mildly enough. "You can speak freely here," Castiel said to her.

No, she couldn't, Gail thought. She was about to have an argument with God. "Please," she said, standing and extending her hand to him.

Castiel looked at her hand for a moment, and for an instant she thought he was going to refuse. But then he stood and took it, and she led him out of the boardroom and around the corner.

"What are you doing, Cas?" she asked him.

His eyes had softened a bit, but he still had the look. "Dispensing justice," he said grimly.

"No, Cas," Gail said, shaking her head. "No."

"And why not?" His eyes were back to their normal blue now, but they flashed. "You heard him."

"Yes, I did," Gail agreed, "but that's their form of justice, not yours. Not ours."

"Are you suggesting we just turn the other cheek?" he said angrily. "Because I can't do that, Gail. I won't do that." Castiel was thinking about his meeting with Crowley earlier. He'd heard his Brother's thought about seeking weak, and though he hated to think of it, in this instance he thought that Crowley had a point. If he did not deal with Angels like Lanister quickly and decisively, word would get around that he was an easy mark.

"No, I'm not suggesting that," Gail responded, frustrated. "I'm just saying..." She sighed. What WAS she trying to say? She'd told herself she would support him in any decision he made, but this was over the line. "Cas, you can't just go around executing people! That's what they did to you, and you're better than that!"

Cas continued to look at her, and now she could see the struggle within him, which encouraged her. Hopefully she was getting through to him. "Look, I'm angry at those guys too, mostly for what they did to you, and I admit I feel hate for them. But even though you have the power to kill them all, that doesn't make it right."

Castiel took a deep breath, then let it out. She was right. He'd just been so angry when Lanister threatened to send Jason after Gail. Cas was never going to let her out of his sight as long as Jason and Aurielle were at large, but he remembered how scared he had felt when he was about to be executed and he realized there would be nothing he could do to protect her from Jason once he was gone. So Lanister had pushed the button, and Castiel had let his anger steer him in the wrong direction. He couldn't have Lanister executed; who was he, Xavier?

He nodded. "All right, Gail. OK. You're right," he told her, sighing. But, what now? Where did he go from here?

Gail's body was weak from relief. He had really scared her for a minute. She smiled, touching his face. "I promise I'll shut up from now on," she said.

"Please don't," he smiled back. "Don't ever do that." Castiel was glad that she'd decided to come. He needed her to keep him in check, provide some perspective. He still had Xavier to deal with, and they may have to argue again.

He took her hand and they walked back into the boardroom. As they re-took their seats, Bobby was saying, "Yeah, well, I'm God after today, and what Castiel may not have time to take care of today, I will."

It was unclear which board member he was talking to; maybe all of them. Xavier, Lanister and Alexander were all staring at Bobby with expressions of disgust, but Ignatius had an odd expression on his face. It looked almost like admiration, Gail thought.

Bobby looked at Cas apologetically. He hadn't meant to get involved in this, but he hadn't been able to help himself. Lanister's threats had angered him too, and Bobby couldn't just sit here and let him get away with that. He figured Gail had pulled Cas out into the hallway to read him the riot act about his ruling on Lanister, and Bobby could just bet she'd gotten him to stand down, but he wanted Lanister to be aware that if Cas relented, Bobby would pick up the slack. He wasn't prepared to execute anybody, but he could sure use his Godly powers to make sure the rest of Lanister's existence was miserable. It felt like Gail was his daughter now, and this guy wasn't going to sit there and threaten to sic Jason on her.

Cas smiled at Bobby. He didn't mind the backup. Then he looked at Lanister with an even gaze. "I've reconsidered," he said. "You need to express your gratitude to Gail. Your life will be spared, but you will still be taken to prison until such time as you can prove that you do not pose a threat to her."

Lanister continued to glare at them both. He had not been particularly surprised when Castiel had pronounced his original sentence. Lanister would expect no less; it's what he would have done. But now he was expected to thank the one who had killed his son? He didn't think so. He supposed he'd be in prison for a good long time, then.

Cas had not really sent out the call in the first place, though he'd been fully prepared to. But he called Ethan now on Angel Radio, and the young guard came to take Lanister away. Ethan glanced at the three remaining board members curiously, wondering if he'd be back for them in a bit. Castiel gave him a nod as he led Lanister away in handcuffs, and Ethan nodded back, suppressing a smile.

Now there were just Alexander, Ignatius, and Alexander left. The two hardliners and the enigma. Castiel looked at Ignatius. He was truly a puzzle. Out of all of the board members, he was the one that Castiel had always held out the most hope for. He knew that Ignatius had no love for humans, like the rest of the board, but he had never openly criticized Cas for working with them, and he had sometimes taken Castiel's side in previous debates. He was the only one who had defended Bobby and Castiel in that long-ago meeting after Cas had come back from Las Vegas, and Cas had not forgotten. Yet he had presided over the tribunal and, except for a few brief moments in which he'd seemed inclined to be fair, Ignatius had backed Xavier. And he'd obviously voted the death penalty against Castiel, though Cas now knew he'd been conflicted about it. What to do here?

Castiel's gaze shifted to Alexander, and to Xavier. His blood started to boil again just looking at those two. There was no discussion to be had here.

"Heaven needs to be rid of you two," Castiel said to them contemptuously.

Gail was wary. She knew how he felt about those two, most especially Xavier, but she hoped he wasn't going to start that again. But she'd wait to see what he said next.

Then, inexplicably, Cas smiled. "I can think of no more fitting punishment for you both than to send you down to Earth to live out the rest of your lives amongst humans," he said.

Bobby pumped his fist. He'd been a little nervous too, but he thought that wasn't a bad idea at all. They hated humans; let them spend eternity surrounded by them. Their own version of Hell. But, they were Angels; was Cas sure he wanted to risk two men with Angel powers running around Earth among the beings they hated so much?

But Cas stood suddenly, and walked around to stand behind Xavier and Alexander. He put one hand each on top of their heads and the white glow began to envelop them. "As humans," Cas added, grinning.

Gail and Bobby looked at each other, and their faces broke into wide smiles. Excellent.

Once the white glow had faded, Alexander and Xavier sat there, apprehensive. They could feel that something had happened to them, yet they were still here. Had he been joking?

Castiel came back around and sat in his chair, taking Gail's hand. "No, I wasn't joking," he said to them. "You'll be sent down to Earth in a moment to begin your new adventure. But there's a little something I wanted to get off my chest first. You two have been the worst sort of Angels there are. You've looked down your noses at everyone, me included, for centuries. Maybe you thought you were representing our Father, but you would be wrong. You always thought you were perfect, holier than everyone else, and you are neither. And you, Xavier, are a special sort of hypocrite. You communed with Crowley and used Jason to do murder and torture. In whose name were those acts performed? Our Father's? I don't think so." He was still holding Gail's hand, and now he raised their arms above the table to display their joined hands to Xavier. "And yet, this bothers you. Well, you're going to be seeing a lot more than this on Earth. In fact, you might want to try it sometime. It might do you a world of good."

Gail smiled at Cas. Well said.

Not believing that Castiel would have had the ultimate gall to turn him into a human, Xavier raised both of his arms, intending to wipe the smile off their faces. He didn't care if Castiel was God, he was going to knock him and his foul-mouthed little slut out of their chairs and worry about the consequences later. But nothing happened, and then Xavier had to accept reality. He and Alexander were humans now, and they would truly be in their version of Hell.

"You will pay," he hissed at the couple.

"Is that so, Xavier?" Castiel said mildly.

Gail was highly amused. "Speaking of pay, you'll have to get a job to stay alive," she said to Xavier. "I'm sure the FCC would welcome you with open arms."

Bobby laughed. Good one, Gail. Yeah, they probably would.

The two former Angels looked puzzled, but Gail didn't bother to enlighten them. "You'll find out," she said cheerfully. "Good luck with that. And you'd better work on your people skills. Your boss might turn out to be a woman."  
Castiel had been trying to stay stern, but he smiled at that thought. He hoped so, he really did. He stood again, and moved behind the two. "I'd wish you good luck too, but I'd be lying," he said quietly, then he touched their foreheads and they vanished.

That left only Ignatius, and he felt extremely nervous now. He'd have thought that Xavier would have been the last one to be dealt with, as his now-former Brother had been the most instrumental in Castiel's conviction and execution. Ignatius had seesawed back and forth throughout the tribunal, but he had mostly deferred to Xavier during the process and he had ultimately voted for death for Castiel, though he had been tempted not to. But all the regrets in the world wouldn't save him now. Castiel was looking at him, and his Brother's eyes were like blue ice.

"Have you anything to say, Ignatius?" Castiel said quietly.

"Yes, I would like to speak, Brother - " Ignatius stopped himself. "I would like to talk to you, Castiel," he amended, choosing his words carefully. Verbiage was always important, he knew, and he suddenly wanted to talk to Castiel on a personal level.

Castiel raised an eyebrow, picking up on Ignatius's subtle change of phrase. "Go ahead, then," he said.

But he was not prepared for what Ignatius was about to say. Ignatius wasn't sure he was prepared for it either, but it was just them now. And he really wanted to know. "What is it like to be human?" he asked Castiel.

Cas was taken aback by the question, and he looked at Bobby and at Gail. They both shrugged. Was he concerned about Xavier and Alexander, and that was why he was asking? Gail snorted derisively. Too bad. They'd have to radically change themselves and their attitudes or they wouldn't survive. She found she really didn't care one way or the other.

But Castiel had taken a peek into Ignatius's mind and knew his question was sincere, so he supposed he could answer it. And it would give him an extra minute or two to try to decide what to do about Ignatius.

"Good, bad, fun, scary," Castiel replied. "All of the above and more. Knowing you're fragile and can be hurt or killed at any time gives you a lot of perspective." He smiled grimly. "Something I had a bit of time to gain while I was here, under your purview," he couldn't resist adding.

"You will not believe me, of course, but I am truly sorry for what we put you and Gail through," Ignatius said, feeling a stab of guilt. He turned to address Gail directly. "Especially you, Dear," he said to her, picturing his daughter's face. "I should never have just stood by and allowed them to - " his voice broke, and he tried again. "I should have killed Jason myself rather than to let him hold you like that." He bowed his head. "I don't expect your forgiveness. Do what you will, Castiel. I have tried to make my peace."

Did Ignatius think Castiel was going to kill him? Gail wondered. He was certainly speaking as if he did.

"Finally," Castiel breathed. "Finally, an apology to Gail for your reprehensible decision." His heart had been softened by Ignatius's words, but he was still angry about that more than anything. And he still didn't know what to do.

Ignatius raised his head again. "May I make a request, Castiel?"

Interesting. "Go on," Castiel said coolly.

"I would like to request that you change me into a human, as well," Ignatius said, surprising them again.

"Why would you want that?" Gail asked him, curious. She didn't have the ability to hear his thoughts, so she had no clue. "You hate humans like the rest of them, don't you? Why would you want to be one?"

Ignatius took a deep breath and then told them the story about his daughter Felicia and her human. "You remind me of her in a lot of ways," he said to Gail. "I still cannot say I approve of the way she has chosen to conduct her life, but I feel it is time to try to put that aside. Perhaps I can find her and try to make it up to her before it is too late."

Wow, Gail thought. It just goes to show that everyone's got a story. Hopefully, he and his daughter could reunite. She'd hated him for his part in what they'd done to Castiel, but just the fact that he was willing to be made human in an effort to try to find and understand his daughter must count for something. Maybe he had a redeeming quality or two after all.

"You wouldn't need to be a human to find your daughter," Cas pointed out.

"True, but I feel it is what I deserve," Ignatius replied. "My guilt is equal to that of Xavier and Alexander."

Castiel thought about that for a moment. Then he walked over to Ignatius and put his hand on the latter's head. But there was no white glow. "I'll send you down to Earth," he told Ignatius, "but you will remain an Angel. First, go see Kevin in his office and he will do an Internet search for your daughter."

Ignatius stood suddenly and faced Castiel. Gail tensed for a moment. "You would do that for me?" Ignatius said to Castiel, astonished.

"You're the only one who ever spoke decently to me in our meetings," Cas said, starting to smile. "And you're the only one who apologized to Gail and called her by name."

Gail shook her head, smiling. Cas.

Ignatius made to kneel in front of Castiel, but Cas pulled him back up by the shirt front. "Now if you go and do that, we are going to have a problem," he said, eyes twinkling. "Save that for Bobby when you get back. It's him you need to show deference to."

Ignatius looked at Bobby. "You are right, Castiel. I never gave you a chance, my Lord, but I promise I will serve you faithfully."

Bobby was impressed, and more than a little amused. Had Cas given this guy a lobotomy when he'd put his hand on his head a minute ago? But if Ignatius was sincere, he'd definitely take it.

Ignatius turned back to Castiel. "May I shake your hand, then?" He extended his hand to Cas and they shook. Ignatius glanced at Gail, saying, "You two take good care of each other. And if you need any help in the future, I will assist you however I can."

He left the boardroom, and Castiel walked back over to Gail, sinking heavily into his chair. "Well, that's it," he breathed. "For better or for worse."

"You did great," Gail said, putting her hand on his arm.

"I couldn't have done better," Bobby agreed. Then he grinned. "You sure you don't want the job, at least for a few months? I could go to a beach somewhere, work on my tan."

Cas knew Bobby was teasing, but he said fervently, "You can have it." This morning had taken a lot out of him, and he still had things he needed to accomplish. "In fact, I think after today, I'm going to put Gail in charge of all the decisions."

"Can I start early?" she said lightly.

He looked at her curiously.

She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "There. There's my first decision."

"Are you two gonna get all tween romance now?" Bobby grumbled.

Cas smiled, appearing to consider. "We might," he said.

"In that case, I'm going back to the bunker," Bobby said, rising. "Raise the testosterone level a bit more. Frank needs a positive example, and I don't know if it's those two." He smiled at Gail, and she smiled back. She could think of no finer example for her brother than the three of them, unless it was the man she was sitting with right now.

"Tell him I'll see him tomorrow," she said to Bobby. Her smile widened. "God and I have to make out a little, then he's got a few more miracles to perform."

Bobby rolled his eyes, and then he was gone.

Gail turned back to Cas. "Here's my second decision," she said, taking him in her arms. "I know how hard this was for you," she murmured, "and I just want you to know how proud I am of you."

Cas laid his hand on her shoulder, appreciating both her words and the comfort. He would have to do something special for her today, something for just the two of them. Frank could have her tomorrow.

Gail released him. "Well, we'd better get to it," she told him. "I know better than a lot of people how quickly a day can go by." She was thinking of the "dream day" she and the Winchesters had been given when they'd died last winter. She'd frittered a lot of time away and then felt rushed at the end, and while she would never say that the activity they were engaged in now was a waste of time, she didn't want the same thing to happen to Cas.

"No more decisions?" he teased her gently.

"The executive decisions, I'm saving for later," she teased him back, arching her eyebrows.

They both laughed, and disappeared from the boardroom.

The talk had been a little stilted at first, and had consisted of mainly trivial things like cars and movies. But once the men were into their third beer and Bobby joined them, the Hunting stories began to emerge and soon they were all laughing and trying to top each other.

Then Frank's smile faded. "I can't believe I let those Demons get the drop on me like that," he said. "Thank God you guys were around to help Gail." But then he smiled again. "Hopefully she's forgiven me for that road rash I must have given her."

Sam smiled. "That was quick thinking on your part. I'm glad we were there, too."

"How did you guys find me?" Frank asked.

The brothers told him that story, and Bobby listened with interest. He'd been up in Heaven then, so he'd never heard the exact details of how Gail had come into the Winchesters' lives. And he was curious about Frank and what sort of a man he was. He seemed all right so far, despite his recent status as a Demon.

"I'm sorry we got there too late to save you," Sam said quietly.

Frank sat back in his chair. "So am I. But you did the best you could. And you and Cas obviously took good care of Gail. But, how did she die?" It still felt strange for Frank to say that. He and Gail had both died, yet here they were.

The brothers exchanged glances, and then they told Frank a very abbreviated version of the story. There were quite a few circumstances surrounding the event that they didn't really feel comfortable sharing with Frank. It was really up to Gail to tell her brother as much as she wanted to about her presence in Crowley's den that day.

Frank's brow furrowed as he took another swallow of beer. Something was weird here, and he had the feeling there was a lot the brothers weren't telling him. He'd have to quiz Gail when he saw her tomorrow.

"So she's an Angel now," he mused. Frank looked at Bobby. "What's that like?"

Bobby gave him a half-shrug. What could he say about that? He remembered what Cas had told Ignatius about being a human. It was pretty much like that. "Interesting, sometimes," Bobby said, smirking. "But Gail's doing OK, though we've all had our ups and downs." He smiled inwardly. Boy, that was an understatement if ever he'd made one. But he didn't want to scare the poor guy; he'd just gotten back to the land of the living.

"What's going on with her and this guy Cas?" Frank asked them then. He was pretty sure he knew, but: "He's OK, isn't he? He sure did me a big favour."

Dean smiled. "You don't have to worry about him. He's more than OK."

"Let's not talk about what's going on with them," Bobby grumbled. "My sugar levels were just starting to go down again."

Frank was puzzled. "Huh?" he said.

Sam grinned. "What he means is that they're disgustingly in love."

"Yeah," Dean said, then somewhat unexpectedly: "And you know what? Good for them." He raised his beer bottle in salute to the couple. He'd be mocking them if they were here, but he had not forgotten how completely empty he'd felt when they had lost Cas recently.

Frank considered this for a moment. These guys might tease, but they seemed to have a lot of affection for Cas, and for Gail, too. And he tended to agree; good for them. One of his biggest regrets was that Gail never got a chance to live a normal life before. Their parents had been murdered when she was still a child, and then they'd had to go on the run together. Frank had shifted them from town to town, never staying in the same place for too long, and he had often been out Hunting at night, leaving her in their motel room to await his return, cautioning her not to go anywhere or open the door to anyone. Then, when she'd grown into adulthood, she had started to venture out sometimes, and had even gotten a job from time to time, but her life had been spent mostly just in his company or on her own. Now she had friends, and she seemed a lot stronger and more confident than he remembered. In a very real way, Frank thought ruefully, his death had paved the way for her transformation. He was glad to see it, and happy that she had found a guy to love, and who seemed to love her. He'd brought Frank out of the depths of Hell for her, hadn't he?

Frank smiled at his new friends. He was pretty sure he could call them that now.

"You realize I'm gonna have to give her a hard time about that, though," he said to Dean.

Dean smirked. He was a big brother himself, and he would expect no less. "Of course," he said to Frank. "And you'll have to lean on Cas a bit, too. We don't want this God thing to go to his head."

Sam and Bobby grinned, and their grins were contagious. "I'd better wait until tomorrow for that," Frank said. "She already threatened to have him smite me."

They all laughed, and Dean rose to get another round of beers. After a moment's hesitation, Bobby took another. He'd had to pee a couple of times already, and he was getting sick of it. Damn Cas. Bobby could just bet that Gail wouldn't need to go to the bathroom today.

After the gravity of his confrontation with the board, Cas wanted to shift gears and focus on something a bit more positive. "Let's go see Chuck," he said to Gail, extending his hand for her to take.

When they had first disappeared from the boardroom, Cas had brought them to Bobby's office, which he supposed was his today. He wasn't sure why he had wanted to come here; maybe it was just the very human impulse to sit in God's chair for a moment.

Castiel stood in front of the desk, hesitating, unsure as to how to proceed. He pictured his Father, who had sat there all those years. Though they had not had that many one-on-one meetings here, considering how long they had both been around, now that he was here, he didn't know if he could bring himself to do it.

"Go ahead," Gail said, smiling. "Just for a moment, anyway. I'm sure He won't mind." She didn't have to be God herself to read his mind at that moment; she knew her Cas well.

He sat down in the chair, looking at her. "How does it feel?" she asked him.

"Weird," he responded.

Gail continued to smile. "I wish I had a camera right now," she teased. "Record this for posterity."

He smiled back, but he rose from the chair and came over to where she stood. "Doesn't really suit me, anyway," he told her. "I'm more of a 'hands-on' God."

Gail considered resisting her natural impulse for a split second; they were in God's office, after all. But she just couldn't. "I'm certainly hoping so," she teased him, moving in closer.

"Really, Gail?" Cas said, imitating Dean.

They both laughed, and Gail thought of her brother at the bunker with Bobby and the Winchesters. She hoped they were all getting along.

That was when Cas had said he wanted to go see Chuck, so they went to the library.

"Are you happy here, Chuck?" Cas asked him.

Chuck looked at him, a little taken aback by the question. "Yes, I am, Cas," he said sincerely. Then he smiled. "At least, now that your tribunal is over and you're actually, you know, alive." He smiled at Gail and she smiled back. Then Chuck's smile faded a bit. "I guess there's really no need for the ABH any more, though. That's too bad, in a way. I enjoyed getting the group together, and we enjoyed rattling Xavier's cage." He sighed. "Even though we couldn't stop them from..." He trailed off. Cas's execution had been hard on him, too.

"How would you like to chair the new board, then?" Cas asked him.

Chuck stared at him. "The new board?" he echoed.

"Yes," Cas replied, smiling. "There isn't one any more, and I think there's still a need for one. You can vote on issues as a group, and help Bobby with the bureaucratic end of things. Just between you and me, that's not his strong suit."

Chuck began to smile. He already had a couple of things in mind to suggest to Bobby, and he knew Kevin would, too. This could be just the ticket. "Who else is going to be on the board, Cas?"

Now it was Cas's turn to be startled. He'd just thought that Chuck and Bobby could take it from there. How the hell should he know who should be on the board? He said this to Chuck now, and Chuck looked surprised. "You're Upper Echelon, aren't you?" Chuck said, but Cas was frowning.

"No," he said to Chuck. "We're not going to use terms like that any more. No one's upper, no one's lower. We're all equals, and we should have an equal say as to the kind of Heaven we want to have."

Chuck was impressed. Way to go, Cas, he thought.

Cas looked sideways at Gail. "You've been awfully quiet," he said to her.

She smiled. "What are you trying to say, exactly?" she teased. "That I talk a lot?"

But Cas wasn't taking the bait. He smiled gently. "Simply that I value your opinion," he said.

Chuck silently congratulated Cas again. God or not, he obviously knew a thing or two about discretion being the better part of valour sometimes. Chuck smiled at that thought.

"I do have an opinion, in fact," Gail said to them, "and you can quit smiling, Chuck, I see you," she continued, pretending to be annoyed.

Cas was enjoying this. Who would have ever thought that he and Gail would be sitting here talking to Chuck like this? If anyone had told him that a year ago, Cas would have thought that they were crazy. Of course, if anyone had told him that he would be executed, revived by Crowley, and promoted to God all within the space of 48 hours, he would have personally escorted them to the facility where Bobby had been recently, he thought with a smile. Not to mention the fact that nearly a year ago, he had been the loneliest Angel since Creation, about to lose his faith and about to perish from depleted Grace, until Gail had come along and restored both. How blessed he had been.

But Gail was speaking now. "I think the board should have at least one female member, maybe two, depending on how many you're planning on sitting," she said.

Chuck agreed. "Absolutely," he told her. "You'll be one, of course, and - "

But Gail interrupted him. "I don't know about that, Chuck. We're based on Earth; we probably won't be here all that much." She looked to Castiel for confirmation, and saw that he was thinking the same thing. They'd both had about enough of Heaven recently, and Gail would want to spend some time with her brother. And he missed Sam and Dean, as he was sure that she did, too.

He took Gail's hand absently, looking at Chuck. "Gail's right, we probably won't be here often enough to attend that many meetings," he mused. But he agreed with her; there should be female representation on the board. It would be about time. He said this to Chuck now.

Chuck nodded. "It IS about time," he said, smiling.

Gail was pleased that he agreed. "So you'll arrange for that, then?" she asked Chuck.

"Arrange for what?" he asked, smiling. "I was thinking it's about time I saw you two holding hands."

Now Chuck was teasing. But Gail was happy to play along. "Now that Castiel is God, he thinks he's too good for me," she joked. She looked at Cas. "Actually, he might be."

They all laughed. "Hardly," Cas said, smiling. Maybe the other way around, he thought. But he felt good about what he'd done so far today, and he was eager to do more for his friends. So he sent out a call to Kevin on Angel Radio, telling him to expect a visit momentarily.

Gail hugged Chuck and he and Cas shook hands, and they left the library, Chuck smiling after them.

They told Kevin about their conversation with Chuck, and Kevin was likewise excited about the prospect of forming a new board. He also expressed his opinion that both Castiel and Gail should be board members, but they told him the same thing they had told Chuck.

"Still, we'll put your names on the roster," Kevin insisted. "You can sit in once in a while, see what we're doing and give us your opinions. And vote, too, if there's anything to be voted on."

Gail looked at Cas and smiled. "Sounds good. You could be the Chairman of the Board. If it was good enough for Sinatra, it's certainly good enough for you."

"You guys are more like the President and the First Lady," Kevin said, smiling. But he wasn't joking, not really. That had actually been Becky's line, but Kevin thought it had been a pretty apt one. Many of the younger Angels in the ABH now felt the same way. Castiel and Gail were a shining example to them all, both as a couple and as individuals.

Gail was amused. Barack and Michelle, Castiel and Gail. She'd take it, she thought. But she told Kevin that she'd like to see full-time female representation on the board.

"I think we should ask Patricia," Kevin said. "She's really smart, and she's been here for quite a while. Maybe she and Chuck could be co-chairs."

Sounded good to Gail. She remembered talking to Patricia briefly at the ABH meeting, and Gail remembered her asking about Bobby and where he was. She'd had the feeling that Patricia was pretty sharp, and the fact that Patricia had joined the ABH even though she was a longer-serving Angel had impressed Gail.

"She thinks the world of Bobby," Kevin continued, smiling, "so she has that going for her, too. She was thrilled to hear that he was back."

There was something in Kevin's expression that made Gail ask, "How thrilled was she, Kevin?" She smiled.

Castiel looked a little taken aback at that. Was Kevin suggesting what he thought he was suggesting? But Bobby was God...Then Castiel gave himself a mental head shake. So was he at the moment, and look at himself with Gail. He was hardly one to say anything. If Bobby and Patricia liked each other and wanted to have a relationship, why should they not? Now that Xavier and the board were gone, they could all have the kind of Heaven they'd envisioned. He was sure that Bobby would want to revise and update the ancient rules, something which his Father had given His blessing to when He had been here recently, and that would be a good thing. Perhaps some good had come out of their ordeal at the tribunal after all.

Kevin then advised that Ignatius had come to see him, and Kevin had been able to do an Internet search for Felicia. Luckily, Xavier had left Kevin's computer alone when he had removed most of them from Heaven's offices, and Kevin had been able to give Ignatius all the information he had been able to glean. Ignatius had thanked him profusely, and had gone to Earth to begin his quest.

"Oh, and I made the deposit in Sam and Dean's account as you requested, Cas," Kevin told him. "I've never seen that many zeroes in someone's account before, and I'm sure they never have either."

Cas smiled. He was proud of himself for having had that idea, and now he made that joke about the next round being on Dean that he'd been too nervous to make earlier. As Kevin smiled at that, Cas thought about the four men who were now in the bunker, drinking beer and swapping stories. As Gail and Kevin had been talking, he's snuck a peek at them, and he'd been gratified to see that Frank was fitting in nicely, and that his friends genuinely liked Gail's brother. He was glad that things were working out on that score. He'd heard Frank's teasing comments about him and Gail, and Castiel wondered if he should have a private chat with Frank about that, convince her brother that his intentions were entirely honourable when it came to Gail. Castiel had been around for many, many years, and he was at heart an old-fashioned guy. He smiled to himself. He guessed it was funny to think that way in the context of their world. Castiel was God at the moment, Frank had recently been a Knight of Hell, and Cas was worried about what Gail's brother might think of HIM?

But that was a topic for later, and he was wasting time woolgathering. Cas still had something very serious to talk to Kevin about.

"It's my fault your mother died at Jason's hand," he said to Kevin, frowning. "And I mean to make it right."

Kevin looked alarmed. He appreciated what Cas was saying, but: "That wasn't your fault, Cas. It was thst bastard Jason, and Xavier, too."

"True, but I bear the responsibility," Cas insisted. "If I had been here to answer the charges, she would still be alive."

Gail felt somber at that thought, and she took Cas's hand. She felt guilty about that as well. Maybe if they'd come back sooner, Jason wouldn't have felt the need to kill Kevin's mom. She would normally have tried to say something soothing to Cas, but he was right in this situation. "I'm sorry too, Kevin," she said to the young Prophet. "You were protecting us, and we're both responsible for what happened to her."

Kevin was really upset now, and he was about to protest again, but Cas held up his hand. "As God, I can rescue your mother from limbo," he told Kevin. "The only question is, where should she go?"

Kevin was startled. "What do you mean, Cas?" He remembered Xavier having told him his mother was in limbo, but he'd been so angry and grief-stricken at the time that he hadn't been able to process what Xavier had been telling him.

"Your mother is between worlds at the moment, in a manner of speaking," Cas explained to Kevin as gently as he could. "There has been no disposition of her soul. So she can be returned to Earth as a human woman, or she can ascend to Heaven to become an Angel. But she's not able to make the call. That's supposed to be up to God to decide."

"Are you telling me you're going to make the decision?" Kevin asked Cas.

"No, I'm not," Castiel told him. "You are."

Kevin thought for a moment. Wow. What a responsibility. Was this what it was like to be God? He'd have to be nicer to Bobby next time he saw him.

"How the hell am I supposed to decide that?" Kevin breathed.

"Don't think, just say the first thing that comes into your head," Gail said. "What would your mom want? What's her number-one priority?"

"Me," Kevin answered quickly. Then he realized he already knew what the right thing was to do. "She would want to be with me." He looked at Gail gratefully. "Thanks, Gail. She needs to be an Angel, Cas."

There went Gail, piercing to the heart of the matter again, Cas thought. "Maybe you should be God," he teased her.

She smiled at both of them. "I don't know if Heaven's ready for that yet," she joked. "We just got our first female board member today. Besides, I think some of my decisions might be unpopular. If I turn the corner and see one more white wall, I might lose it and paint everything psychedelic."

Castiel stood, smiling at her and Kevin. "I'll be right back," he told them; then he leaned down to Kevin, pretending to look suspiciously at Gail. "Maybe you and Chuck should hide all the paintbrushes while I'm gone."

Kevin and Gail laughed, and Cas winked out of the room.

Gail turned back to look at Kevin. "Now that God's gone for a minute, we can talk about what's really important. What's going on between you and Becky?" Her tone was light, but Gail was frankly curious. She liked both of the young Angels, and she thought that Kevin could be very good for Becky. Gail had no idea that Becky had been in love with Sam for years now, and had killed herself over Sam's rejection of her.

Kevin hesitated. He still didn't know Gail all that well, but he could use a woman's point of view and she was offering an ear. "I don't know, Gail," he sighed. "I really like her, and I know she likes me too, but..." He searched for the right words. "Sometimes, when she's looking at me, I feel like she's looking at someone else. Does that even make sense?"

Actually, it did, and his statement made Gail a little uneasy. For some reason, an image of Aurielle flashed into her mind just then. But that was ridiculous. Becky was an innocent and naive girl, while Aurielle was...What was she, exactly? Psychotic? Obsessed? Dangerous? All of the above?

"Have you seen Aurielle, or Jason?" she blurted out.

Kevin was confused. They'd just been talking about Becky. Why had Gail said that?

"I'm sorry, Kevin," she said, seeing the look on his face. "When I have a chance, I'll talk to Becky, see if I can get her to confide in me. But I had a vision, and I haven't told Cas about it." She told Kevin about the brief flash she'd had of Aurielle standing over Castiel, holding a book and painting some kind of symbols on his chest.

"It creeped me out, Kevin," she said, shuddering at the memory and the possible implications. Gail wasn't thinking of the spell book at the moment, as Bobby had told them it was still in his possession, and Gail had no reason to believe otherwise. Cas had told her that Bobby was to be impeached by Xavier over his relationship with Rowena just before they had gone on the run, but somewhat atypically, he had not mentioned the spell book Xavier had shown him; in his haste to get them going, Cas had omitted what he'd thought was a minor detail. It hadn't mattered so much at the time why Bobby was going to be impeached, only that he was sure to be. However, the image of her vision had remained in the back of Gail's head ever since she'd seen it in her mind's eye. But she was no Prophet. Was this just a manifestation of her nervousness about Aurielle, and the fact that she had gone missing?

Kevin remembered the partial vision that he'd been having about Aurielle looking at a very old book, debating whether to toss it in the fireplace, then looking at it again. Chuck had interrupted him that day before he'd had a chance to see more, and he had not seen anything to do with Aurielle since.

He told Gail this now, and suggested she ask Chuck. Gail still didn't make a connection to the spell book. There must be lots of old books in Heaven, and Aurielle had been an Angel for a long time.

"I will at some point, but I didn't want to ask him today, and I didn't want to ask him while Cas was there," Gail said. She didn't know why; she just didn't want to bring this up to Castiel, and especially not today. Today was his day, and she didn't want to spoil it by bringing up such an umcomfortable subject.

Kevin thought she should definitely tell Cas about what she'd seen. He knew Gail was no Prophet, but since he was one himself, he believed in the power of intuition. He didn't think she was being silly, and even if she was, so what? Shouldn't Cas know about this?

But before he had the chance to tell Gail how he felt, Cas was back, and he had Kevin's mother with him.

Another happy, tearful reunion. Castiel and Gail stepped back, watching Kevin and Linda embrace.

"Everything worked out, Mom," Kevin said, smiling at his mother. She raised an eyebrow to him. "Well, you know what I mean," he finished sheepishly.

Linda touched her son's face. Yes, she knew. "You made the right decision, Kevin," she said to him, smiling. That must be why Cas had been gone a few minutes; he must have told Linda that it had been her son's decision to make her an Angel.

For her part, Linda was extremely proud of her son. Castiel told her that Kevin had not divulged his and Gail's whereabouts, and he had stood up to Xavier when many other Angels would not. Her son was a hero, and would go on to be one of Heaven's finest leaders. Linda's heart swelled with the pride she felt. But then she'd always known that Kevin was special.

Castiel's job here was done, and after receiving thanks from Kevin and a hug from Linda, he took Gail's hand. On to the next destination.

"Where are we going now?" Gail said to Cas as they exited Kevin's office. She was happy, excited; he was performing so many good deeds for their friends in his temporary role as God that the day was starting to feel like Christmas morning everywhere they went. And hadn't she received the best present of all first? Gail wanted this day to last forever, but she was also really looking forward to sitting down with Frank tomorrow and talking until their voices were hoarse.

"A part of Heaven you've never been before," he said in his enigmatic way, and he took both of her hands in his now. "I hope you don't mind that I've never shown you this before. I didn't think you'd ever want one for us, not here, anyway."

OK, now she was really curious. He winked her to a long hallway that seemed to stretch out forever, with multiple doors on both sides. The doors were numbered, but other than that, they all looked alike.

Great, another white hallway, she thought with wry amusement. What was so different about this one? And couldn't they at least hang a painting or something, break up the monotony of all that white?

Castiel could hear her thoughts, and he smiled. He had been trying to shut it off today, but that one had snuck through. He loved her, but he didn't want to invade her privacy in that manner. Her thoughts were her own, and if there was something she wanted to share with him, she would. Intimacy was one thing; invasion of privacy was quite another. Besides, Gail had never seemed to have a problem with communicating her feelings clearly to him. Sometimes all too clearly, he thought with good humour.

"These are apartments," he told her. "Residences for the Angels."

Gail raised her eyebrows in surprise. But then, she guessed it only made sense. Just because they didn't sleep, surely God didn't require them to work all the time.

"Some choose apartments, others choose houses," Castiel continued. "Many want their dwelling to look as it did when they were alive, and there are quite a few families who choose houses when they are all finally reunited."

Of course, that only made sense, too. Gail seemed to recall a Bible reading she had heard somewhere about that very thing. It gave her hope, and a feeling of warmth to know that family members could live together once they'd passed from the Earth. Hopefully, many, many years from now, Sam and Dean could have another bunker here together, and she and Cas could visit them there as they did now. And now that Frank was a human again, she could look forward to popping into his place as well. This was the best she had ever felt about Heaven.

"We could have had a place here, if we'd wanted," Cas said softly. "But I didn't really want one, and I didn't think you would, either. Maybe I should have asked you about it, though. We seem to be homeless at the moment." He smiled wryly.

"No, you were right," she said to him. "Maybe one day, but for now, I prefer to stick to Earth."

"That's what I thought you'd say." He nodded. Another item on his To Do list.

He led the way down the corridor and knocked on one of the doors. Ethan opened the door, smiling widely. "Hey, Cas, Gail, come on in," he said to them.

Ethan had a nice apartment, Gail thought. Nothing fancy, to be sure, but it was cozy-looking. He saw her looking around. "I wanted it to look exactly like the apartment I had with Karen, and it does," he said to her. "And one day, she'll be here with me. Then in the future, our son will join us. Though by that time, God willing, he'll be old and will have had a family of his own. Then he can have his own house, and his mother and I can visit the grandkids."

What a sweet image, Gail thought. She told him this.

Ethan smiled. "Thanks to you and Cas, it can happen now," he said. "I never forgot what you said about what things would have been like under Xavier. That's why I joined the ABH. We should all have the right to be here together. And now my brother can get an apartment here too, when his time comes."

Gail's brow furrowed. "His brother is gay," Cas told her. "Just one of the things that Ethan and I talked about when I was in prison. I told him about Barry and Tommy, that they were part of the reason we decided to come back."

Gail put her hand on Ethan's arm. "Thank you for being so kind to us throughout that whole thing," she said to him.

He smiled and said, "Where are my manners? Sit down, sit down."

Gail and Cas sat together on the couch, and Ethan sat in a chair across from them. The furniture was mismatched, which Gail found endearing. She could just imagine that this was exactly what Ethan and Karen's apartment had looked like on Earth. A young couple, just starting out in life, trying to make ends meet and feed and clothe a new baby.

She looked at the endtable. "All that's missing is a happy family photo," she said, then immediately regretted it as Ethan's smile faded. "I'm sorry, Ethan, that was insensitive," she apologized, kicking herself. Gail of all people should know how hard it was not to have a photo of your loved ones. She still owed Jason for having torn up her photo, and though everything had worked out in the end, she would never forget how painful that had been. But then she had an idea.

"Tell us about Karen and your son," she said to Ethan, and he described his family and talked about their lives on Earth before he'd been shot.

Gail looked at Castiel, squeezing his hand. He gave her a brief nod. In one of those moments of non-verbal communication they had, they realized that something had to be done for Ethan.

But first, Cas had an offer for him. "There's an opening for the head of Law Enforcement," Cas said, with just the right amount of irony. "How would you like to fill it, Ethan?"

Gail was dismayed. "Do we really need that kind of thing?" she asked sadly. It was unsettling to think that Heaven might need what basically amounted to a police force.

"What do you think, Ethan?" Castiel asked the young Angel.

Ethan frowned. "Unfortunately, I think we might," he said slowly. "Look at guys like Lanister. Or Metatron. Or Jason." He leaned forward earnestly. "But it wouldn't be like Jason's, I swear. No torture, no police brutality. I don't believe in that crap. And the only Angels that would be in prison would be the ones that really deserve to be there, like Lanister. You were right to lock that guy up, Cas. You wouldn't believe the threats he was making about Gail when I took him there this morning."

Castiel's look was dark. Unfortunately, he would. He still wasn't entirely convinced he should have relented and allowed Lanister to live. But at least he was locked up now, and the prison's sigils would prevent him from communicating with Jason or anyone else on Angel Radio.

Which reminded him of the next item on his mental checklist, and now he had just added one more. He was certainly packing a lot into his day, Castiel thought. It was a good thing he didn't need to sleep, though he still had miles to go, he thought, paraphrasing.

Cas turned to Gail. "I'd like to borrow Ethan for a bit," he said lightly. "Is there anything you can do on your own for a few minutes?"

There he went, being mysterious again. He was trying to get rid of her, but he had the knack of asking so nicely you scarcely noticed. She thought for a moment. Becky, or Chuck? She supposed she should follow the unselfish example Cas was setting for her today.

"I think I'll pop in and see Becky," she told Cas. "I'll thank her for both of us for her support."

"Good idea," Cas said, and kissed her on the forehead. "Give her that from me."

Both men stood when she rose from the couch, and they continued to stand there, looking at her. Oh. Apparently, she was expected to leave now. Okie-dokie, she'd cooperate. She certainly owed Castiel big for what had happened the last time he had been so evasive with her.

So Gail popped out of Ethan's apartment to see Becky, and then Castiel and Ethan popped out of there and went to the prison after Cas told Ethan what he had in mind.

Castiel had asked Ethan if he could visit the three Angels who had received lengthy prison terms at the hands of Xavier and the board under the tribunal process. Having been through his own, he wanted to talk with these men and hear of their experiences. He was on a roll, and if there had been injustices in their cases, which he strongly suspected now that there had been, they needed to be addressed.

Ethan was becoming more and more impressed with Castiel the more time he spent in his company. Castiel was God right now, yet he had called Ethan, asking if he and Gail could drop by Ethan's home. Then he had asked Ethan about his family and his life on Earth, and had listened patiently to Ethan's answers. Now he had requested that Ethan take him to the prison to see those guys, and he had asked Ethan for his opinion on the prisoners. Ethan knew that Castiel could do whatever he wanted right now; as God, he didn't need anyone's permission or input to do whatever he saw fit. But he talked to Ethan like a person, an equal, even, and Ethan appreciated it.

Castiel talked to each prisoner individually in his cell, with Ethan present for each conversation. All three Angels had stories to tell which sounded all too familiar; Xavier, pushing through evidence they had not been permitted to look at or answer to, witnesses they had not been allowed to question, allegations and insinuations without any proof in many instances. None of their alleged wrongdoings had come even close to the things that Castiel had done, yet the board had voted to send them to prison with no hope for parole. And they were the fortunate ones; two Angels had been put to death within the same time frame, as Castiel himself had been. Regrettably, there was nothing he could do for those Angels now. He had Godlike powers today, but Castiel was not God, nor was Bobby, technically; neither had the power to bring back life, though only he, Bobby, and Gail knew that little fact. Only his original Father had that power, along with Crowley, and presumably Metatron, although hopefully God had caught up with him by now. After today, Castiel would unfortunately have to contact Crowley about Metatron, but he would not think about that now and spoil the most wonderful day he had been having. Well, except for those first two days and nights in Las Vegas.

After talking with the prisoners and looking into their hearts and minds, Castiel authorized each Angel's release. Each man fell to his knees and wept in gratitude, making Cas feel uncomfortable but leaving a lump in his throat. He asked them to please rise, then go home to their families.

Ethan had a lump in his throat too, and his eyes were threatening to tear up. He still didn't know how Cas was standing here right now, but Ethan was so glad he was. He vowed right there and then that if Castiel ever needed him, he would be there, no matter what.

Becky jumped from her chair and gave Gail a hug. "Where's Castiel?" she asked, looking around.

Gail smiled. "We're not joined at the hip, you know." She drew up a chair and sat down next to Becky. "OK, I guess we kind of are sometimes," Gail acknowledged aloud, "but he's God today, and he's got a lot he wants to accomplish."

Becky looked at Gail with wide eyes. Kevin had mentioned that to her this morning, but she could scarcely believe it. "So he's really God?" she asked her friend.

"Yep," Gail replied. "And he asked me to give you this." She leaned forward and kissed Becky on the forehead.

Becky smiled. That was so sweet, she thought. Bet Aurielle would have liked that. But thinking about Aurielle made her frown. Kevin and Chuck had told Becky that Aurielle and Jason were missing, and Becky was uneasy about that. She'd been in denial about her other girlfriend, but Becky now had to face the fact that Aurielle was not who she'd thought she was. To just take off from Heaven that way, and with that horrible Jason?

"What's the matter, Becky?" Gail saw the girl frowning, and Becky said, "I'm really sorry, Gail. I thought Aurielle was nice."

Aurielle? Gail thought. That name again? "Where did that come from?" she asked Becky quietly.

"I don't know, Gail, I was just thinking about her and Jason leaving Heaven that way. I'm sorry I was even her friend." And Becky was now extremely sorry that she had confided in Aurielle about her feelings for Sam. Hopefully she wouldn't tell anybody. But that thought gave Becky an idea. Castiel was God today, and Gail was here now. Becky would never have a better opportunity.

"Can I ask you something?" she said to Gail. "I wonder if Castiel could do me a little favour."

"What's that, Becky?" Gail asked curiously.

Becky paused. She had to proceed carefully here. "I wonder if he could send me down to Earth, to work there," she said eagerly. "I miss Earth, and I could be a big help to you guys."

Gail was amused. Only Becky could call what she was asking a "little favour". And just what did she think she was going to do on Earth, anyway? But Gail didn't want to hurt her friend's feelings, so instead she asked, "Why would you want to go to Earth, Becky?"

"I could help you with Aurielle," Becky said. She may not have been a Mensa member, but Becky was intuitive, and she had the feeling now that these were the right words to say to Gail. "Maybe I could talk to her, convince her to give herself up."

She had Gail's attention now, and though what Becky was saying was interesting, it would definitely bear some discussion. "I'll talk to Castiel," she said to Becky noncommitally. "We'll get back to you."

To Becky, that was as good as a yes. If Gail talked to Castiel on her behalf, she could pack her metaphorical bags right now. Becky knew there was no way Castiel would say no to Gail no matter what she asked for.

Gail was regarding Becky now, wondering how to bring up the subject of Kevin. She'd promised him she would, but now that she was here, she didn't know what to say. Was it any of her business anyway?

"How are Sam and Dean?" Becky asked suddenly. The question wasn't sudden for Becky, though; she'd been biding her time, waiting to bring it up.

"They're fine," Gail smiled. "We had breakfast with them this morning. Well, I did, anyway." She told Becky about her gift from Cas, when Becky looked at her, puzzled. Should she tell Becky about the other gifts? Gail thought not. Becky didn't know anything about her brother, and the status of the Winchesters' bank account was their own business. But she did tell Becky about her and Sam having made breakfast, and Bobby and Dean cleaning up afterwards. "You haven't truly lived until you've seen God roll up his sleeves and do dishes," Gail joked.

Becky giggled at the image. She was glad that Bobby was back. He'd been so good to her. And Becky was so happy that Castiel was alive, and that he and Gail were back together. Becky had stayed away from the viewing room, but Kevin had told her how heartbroken Gail had been that day, and Becky could only imagine. She had tried to visualize herself sitting next to Sam's dead body and holding his hand, and Becky couldn't do it. She would have gone crazy, too.

But she could definitely picture herself as a part of the scene that Gail was describing now. Becky and Sam in domestic bliss, making breakfast for everyone, Sam holding her hand at the table, Becky kissing him on the cheek...and, who knew? Maybe they could even do more than that. She thought about Castiel and Gail, and how romantic they were with each other.

"How does it feel, kissing God?" Becky blurted out.

Gail looked at her, startled, then started to laugh. She'd forgotten about Becky's tendency to just say whatever came to her mind. It was kind of refreshing, in a way.

"You know what?" she said mischeviously. "It's sort of - oh, I don't know - divine."

Gail had amused herself with that one, but Becky just looked at her. Oh well, you couldn't win them all. But that had given her the opening she'd been looking for.

"Speaking of kissing, how are things going with you and Kevin?" Gail asked Becky.

"Oh, we don't do that," Becky assured her. "I let him hold my hand sometimes, but that's it." She frowned. She didn't want Gail running to Sam, telling him that she and Kevin were together. Becky had sold herself on the scene she was picturing in the bunker, and she was back in the land of fantasy.

Gail frowned, too. Not exactly a ringing endorsement of her supposed relationship with Kevin, was it? And Becky had a faraway look about her now, like she was picturing something or someone else. Just as Kevin had said. But again, was this any of Gail's business, really? Wasn't the status of their relationship between Kevin and Becky?

So she said nothing further on the subject, but Gail hoped that Kevin wasn't due for a heartache. At least he had his mother back now. That had been a really sweet moment. Kevin and Linda's reunion had reminded her of herself and Frank's earlier today. Castiel had done so many good things for so many individuals today, she thought warmly.

But he wasn't thinking warm thoughts right now; quite the opposite.

Castiel was standing in Lanister's prison cell facing him. He'd asked Ethan to bring him here, then to leave them alone to talk. It had been bothering him that Lanister had apparently still been issuing threats against Gail while he was being led here, and even though he felt that there was nothing concrete that Lanister could do to her, Castiel wanted to warn the former board member that he would not tolerate it.

He had had Ethan take him somewhere else before he'd come here, too. They had gone to the weapons room and Castiel had taken back his confiscated blade, and Gail's as well, and he had them in his pockets now. They'd been tagged, but he could pick them out just by the markings on them, anyway. As Sam and Dean had speculated, each Angel blade had its own individual markings, designating who the weapon's owner was. That was about the extent of Cas's knowledge on the subject; he would find out much, much more later, and under very strange circumstances.

Castiel was itching to take his blade out now and show it to Lanister. Did he think he could just stand there and threaten Gail with Jason?

"What, Castiel?" Lanister spat out. "Do you have a problem with what I have been saying?"

"You'll be the one with the problem if you don't stop," Cas said coolly.

Lanister laughed derisively. "You never should have shown me mercy, Castiel. I still have friends in Heaven who will be only too glad to contact Jason on my behalf. He will do what should have been done to your female after the tribunal, and he will enjoy it. She should never have convinced you to let me live."

Now Castiel did have his blade in his hand, and it was at Lanister's throat. "You don't see her here now, do you?" he said in his quiet voice.

Lanister was a little frightened by the look in Castiel's eyes, but he remained defiant. "You won't do it," he said to Castiel.

"Really?" Castiel said, smiling coldly. "Care to test me?"

"The humans have made you weak," Lanister sneered. "After Jason is finished with her, he will go after them, and then you will have nothing."

Castiel eased up a little, thinking about what Lanister was saying. He was probably right. As long as Jason was out there somewhere, these things would very likely come to pass. He needed to go after Jason first.

Lanister smiled, seeing the stricken look on Castiel's face. He was almost glad that Castiel had somehow survived his execution; seeing him suffer, having to watch his loved ones tortured and killed by Jason, would be far sweeter.

"I will have my vengeance," he said to Castiel. "I will instruct Jason to be highly creative in his torture of the Angel Gail. You see, I do know her name." He smirked.

Castiel cut Lanister's throat with the blade, then stabbed him in the chest just for good measure. Lanister's body fell to the floor and Castiel stood over it, breathing heavily, the blood pounding in his ears. The human part of him wished Lanister was still alive, so he could do it again. He kicked the body, hard. Lanister should have kept his mouth shut. Well, he wouldn't be telling Jason anything now, would he?

Then he stepped back, looking at Lanister's blood dripping from his blade. What had he just done? But he'd had to do it. Lanister was a menace, and he had been determined to see the three people that Castiel loved the most die.

"Ethan," Castiel called out. "I need you here."

Ethan came to the cell and looked down at Lanister's body, then back up at Castiel in shock. "What happened?" he asked Cas. "What did you do?"

Castiel saw the look on Ethan's face, and he knew that Ethan was disappointed in him. Was Cas a cold-blooded killer after all, as Xavier had been alleging? Castiel knew that Ethan could never understand how angry and scared he'd felt when Lanister had mentioned Gail by name, talking about her torture at Jason's hands. He'd done what he had to do, what he should have done in the first place.

He pointed down at Lanister's body. "He took Gail's blade out of my pocket and went for me. I had no choice." Gail's blade lay by the body, where Castiel had placed it prior to calling for Ethan.

Silence. Ethan eyed Castiel curiously. An Angel who couldn't use his powers shows a blade to God, and God has to defend himself by killing him? Did Cas really expect him to believe that?

Cas did. He was starting to hate himself, but he still felt justified in killing Lanister. But he was giving Ethan the choice now. Whose side was the young Angel really on?

"I shouldn't have left you alone with him," Ethan said slowly.

"No, you probably shouldn't have," Castiel said calmly, quietly.

Ethan sighed. He still believed Castiel was a good guy, and he had pledged his loyalty to him.

So they carried Lanister's body out of the cell and disposed of it. No one had seen Ethan bring Lanister in this morning, so no one would know he was gone now.

Then Castiel left the prison to meet up with Gail. His expression had transformed when he mentioned her to Ethan, and Cas smiled warmly as he told Ethan he had a couple of surprises lined up for her this afternoon. Who was this guy? Ethan thought, and he was more than a little disturbed. He stared after Castiel a long time after he disappeared from view.

So now both Castiel and Gail had a secret they were hiding from each other.

As he entered Becky's cubicle and stood behind Gail, Castiel's hands started to shake, and he put them in his pockets so Gail couldn't see. She'd turned around in her chair when he'd greeted Becky, and she was smiling at him, but Cas struggled to return Gail's smile. He'd just committed the very murder she'd asked him not to, and he had lied to Ethan about the circumstances, though he had the feeling that Ethan hadn't quite believed him. Nevertheless, the young guard had helped him cover it up. Castiel stubbornly told himself that ridding Heaven of an Angel like Lanister was the right thing to do, but he hadn't done it for Heaven, had he? He'd done it for himself. And he was supposed to be God. Was he letting the power go to his head again, thinking his needs outweighed what was right?

Gail looked at Cas curiously. He had a strange look on his face she couldn't quite identify. Where had he been, and why did he look so unhappy while trying to smile?

"Are you OK, Cas?" she asked him, concerned.

Cas shook it off. There was still quite a bit he wanted to do today, and it was all positive. They deserved a good day together after all the tension they'd been through lately, and he was determined that they should have it. So he took his hands out of his pockets and put them on Gail's shoulders.

"Just fine," he told her, but then he picked up on what Becky was thinking, and Cas faltered again. Becky was looking at the two of them and smiling, but she was envisioning herself and Sam having a very intimate moment. Cas was nonplussed. Wasn't Becky Kevin's girlfriend? Then he remembered Bobby having told them that Becky had committed suicide, and Sam had been upset about that. Understandably so, but Cas now wondered if there was more to the story than he knew. He looked at Becky curiously.

Oh, crap, Becky thought, Castiel's God today! He could read her thoughts, couldn't he? She started thinking about Kevin as hard as she could, and she saw Castiel blink, then look away.

That had been strange, Cas thought, but his mind had already shifted. Quite frankly, he had bigger things on his plate right now than Becky and her harmless fantasies. Castiel needed to put what he had just done out of his mind and think of what he still wanted to accomplish today. He could deal with his guilt tomorrow. "Let's go, Gail." He forced himself to sound brisk, cheerful. "We've got more good deeds to perform."

As Gail rose and took his hand, she missed Cas's quick rearrangement of his facial expression. She normally would have caught it, but Gail was preoccupied with her own secret; the vision she'd had of Aurielle. She supposed she would have to bring it up to Castiel at some point, but she wasn't going to do it today, not when today had been so happy and positive. Although he had looked and sounded a bit strange when he'd first shown up.

They said goodbye to Becky and joined hands, appearing on a street corner in Philadelphia a moment later.

"Where are we?" Gail asked Cas. He pointed to the apartment building they were standing in front of, telling her that this was the place where Ethan had lived.

"This will be tricky," he told her. "I wanted to talk to Karen. Reassure her that Ethan is fine, and that he is a hero in Heaven." Especially now, Cas thought but did not say. That stab of guilt again. He had wanted to do this for the young guard ever since Ethan had confided in Castiel when he'd been an inmate. Ethan was worried about how Karen would be coping with his death. She'd been wavering in her faith since before Ethan had gotten shot, and he feared that his death would cause her to give up on God.

Castiel told Gail this now. He wanted to make sure that Karen knew that she and Ethan could be reunited in Heaven if she did not give up, but: "I can hardly just knock on her door and tell her I'm God and you're an Angel," he said, his mouth twitching with amusement. "Do you have any suggestions?"

Gail thought for a moment. She thought that it was a wonderful thing that he was proposing to do for Ethan and his girlfriend, but he had a point. How could they go about it? Then she had an idea.

"Do you think it would be OK if we were a little dishonest?" Gail asked him, smiling.

Her question was an innocent lead-in to her idea, but Cas felt another stab of guilt. He would really have to tell her what he had done soon, before his guilt ate him alive. And he would have to have a talk with Ethan, as well. It was all very well and good to help ease the young guard's mind as far as Karen was concerned, but Cas couldn't live with himself if he allowed the lie he had told Ethan to stand. That had been the old Castiel in Lanister's prison cell, and that was not who he was any more.

But for now, he looked at Gail and said, "What do you have in mind?"

They knocked on the door of the apartment, and when Karen opened the door, Gail smiled at her. "Hi," she said pleasantly. "I wonder if you could do us a favour. We used to live here a few years ago, and we're visiting the old neighbourhood. Do you think we could take a look around the apartment for a minute, just for old times' sake?" She took Cas's hand and smiled at him, then looked back at Karen. "It would mean a lot to us," Gail added.

Karen looked at the couple, appraising them. They looked like pleasant enough people, and she thought it was sweet that they were holding hands. She and Ethan used to do that a lot, Karen thought sadly.

"Sure, I guess so," she told them, opening the door to let them in. But she left the door open. Karen's boyfriend had been a cop, and she wasn't born yesterday.

As Cas passed Karen, he reached out and touched her forehead, using the Godly powers he had been given to calm her and make her receptive to his message. Then he spoke to Ethan's common-law wife gently, reassuring her that Ethan was doing very well in Heaven, he was thinking about her, and that one day they would be together again.

Tears began to stream down Karen's face, but she was smiling. Castiel reached up to touch her forehead again, but Gail put her hand on his arm. "Just a minute," she said. He looked at her inquiringly.

"Can you conjure me up a camera?" she asked Cas. "I think I owe Ethan a present."

Castiel was puzzled for a moment, but then he realized what she was getting at, and he smiled. An instant later, there was a camera in Gail's hand.

Cas walked over to the playpen in the living room and picked up Ethan and Karen's infant son. The baby gurgled happily and reached out his tiny hand to touch Cas's nose, and Cas laughed. How he wished this child would be able to tell his schoolmates when he grew older that he had once bopped God on the nose. Hopefully, Ethan's son would grow up to be an honourable man, like his father. Yes, he and Ethan would have to have that talk very soon.

Castiel put the baby in Karen's arms and Gail snapped the picture. Then she took a couple more, just to be sure, then a few of the apartment, just for good measure.

"How are you going to get the photos to Ethan?" Cas asked curiously.

"Digital camera," Gail told him. "Bobby's reinstated the computers in Heaven, right?"

Cas could have smacked himself in the head. Of course. He smiled. "That was a nice touch," he told her.

"Well, I felt bad about my tactless remark when we were at his place. Besides, I know first-hand how a picture of your loved ones can lift your spirits." Gail smiled sadly, thinking of the photo of her and Cas in Las Vegas which had meant so much to her but which Jason had destroyed. But she guessed it was time to let that go. She had the real thing back now, thank God.

She handed Castiel the camera and he put it on his pocket. He felt the Angel blades there, and there was another stab of guilt as the irony of the combination hit him. His own blade was clean now, but his conscience was not. Castiel now felt like there was a dark spot on his soul. The camera symbolized who he wanted to be, but the blade had felt right in his hand, and he had to admit that a very large part of him had missed that feeling.

But now was not the time for soul-searching. There would be plenty of time for that tomorrow, after he had to face Gail and confess to her what he'd done earlier today. He'd probably have some time alone after that when she stormed out, Cas thought ruefully.

He put his hand on Karen's forehead again, and she came out of the trance. Castiel had suggested to her that she had picked up the baby during their visit, so Karen was not surprised to be holding him.

"Thank you for letting us have a look around," Gail said to Karen, and Castiel offered his hand to Karen. She shook it briefly as he said, "Yes, thank you." Cas put his hand on the baby's head for a moment and murmured, "You will one day make your father proud."

Karen looked at him, startled. Had she heard him correctly? But the couple was leaving, and when they were gone, Karen cuddled the baby, thinking of Ethan. But she was smiling now, not crying. She looked forward to being with Ethan again one day in the future.

Gail handed the camera to Ethan. "Thank goodness you're young. I won't have to explain to you how to use this."

He looked at her curiously. "What's this? I mean, I know what it is," he hastily amended. "But, what's this all about?"

"Karen and your son are doing just fine," Castiel told him. "And now she knows that you are, as well."

Ethan looked at him, then at the camera.

"Pictures of your family, and of your apartment," Gail told him. Then she grinned. "You may want to rearrange some furniture, but other than that, it's pretty bang-on." She looked around his Heavenly home and marvelled; it was almost an exact reproduction of the apartment she and Cas had just been in. Wow.

Ethan grabbed Gail and brought her in for a hug. "Thank you," he said, his voice breaking with emotion.

Gail returned his hug, but then she came out of it, saying, "Don't thank me, thank Cas. Going there and reassuring Karen was his idea."

Ethan looked at Cas. He didn't exactly approve of what Castiel had done in Lanister's cell, but how could Ethan comdemn him if he was going to go and do something like what he had just done?

He reached out to shake Cas's hand, but Cas pulled him into a half-hug. "I have to talk to you about what happened," Cas said softly. "I'll be back in a minute."

Then he stepped back and took Gail's hand, and they winked out of Ethan's apartment.

They appeared just outside the bunker, and Gail was surprised. She was fully capable of getting around on her own now in the Angel way, but it was Cas's day today and she was just going with the flow. It was kind of fun just to take his hand and see where he would take them next.

"What are we doing back here?" Gail asked him. Not that she minded in the slightest, but she'd thought they wouldn't see the guys again today.

"I have a couple more things I need to take care of," Cas told her, his face serious. "I thought you might like to have lunch with Frank in the meantime."

He was ditching her again. Gail shrugged. Oh well, at least she'd get to spend a bit more time with her brother today. Brothers, plural, she thought, smiling.

"Aren't you coming in for a minute?" she asked him. "I know you've got a lot to do today, but..." She didn't know why she wanted him to come in, Gail just did. Maybe she just wanted Frank to see them together, to get him used to the idea. The last time she and her brother had been together on Earth, it had been just the two of them. Now things were quite different. They'd have to talk about that tomorrow, too.

Cas hadn't intended to, but one look at her face and he relented. Crowley and Jason were right; she was his soft spot. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing, he thought. After what had happened in Lanister's cell, Castiel had realized that he needed her to keep him in check, smooth the rough edges. He'd gone off the reservation quite a few times in the past, and Cas didn't want to do that again. He was supposed to be better than that.

So they entered the door of the bunker and walked down the stairs. Sam looked at them in surprise. "What's with the human-type entrance?" he asked them, grinning.

"Variety is the spice of life," Cas said lightly, smiling.

Gail looked at the men, and then at the table. There were quite a few empty beer bottles on it, and the three humans were looking a little the worse for wear. Maybe she had gotten here just in time.

Bobby rose from the table. "Gotta take a whiz," he announced. He scowled at Cas. "Again."

Cas kept his face impassive, but he was smiling inwardly. Gail gave him a sidelong glance. "That's funny, I haven't had to - " she began to say, then stopped. Ohhh.

"I knew it!" Bobby exclaimed. "Just wait till tomorrow, Cas. You're gonna get yours."

Cas and Gail looked at each other and burst out laughing. "Sorry, Bobby," Cas said, trying his best to look sheepish.

"No, you're not," Bobby grumbled, and left the room.

"No, I'm not," Cas said, still smiling.

He and Gail turned to look at Frank and the Winchesters. They'd picked up on the thread, and they were all grinning. Or maybe the grins stemmed from the considerable amount of beer they'd drunk.

"I'm here for lunch," Gail announced. "When Bobby gets back, we'll have to have something to eat before things get totally out of hand."

"Come on, Gail, don't be such an Angel," Frank teased her. "Let your hair down a little."

Dean smirked. "Yeah, have a glass of wine, or something. Sammy, get that pitcher of water out of the fridge. Let's see Cas in action."

Cas's mouth twitched. He got the inference. "I actually could do that," he said to Dean, "but Gail's just here for a short visit. I'm leaving her in your care until after lunch." Or at least in Bobby's care, Cas thought with amusement, as he was the only sober one here at the moment.

"But I will do something to help," Cas continued. He waved his hand over the table and the empty bottles disappeared and were replaced by an array of food, plates, and utensils.

Frank was impressed. Truthfully, he'd been getting very hungry. He hadn't eaten in a long time. He immediately started to load up a plate, looking at Cas. "Thanks," he smiled. "Hey, can you do this sort of thing all the time, or just today?"

"Regrettably, just today," Cas answered him, smiling again.

"Damn," Frank said, and they laughed.

Dean was loading up a plate too, but he had to give Cas a hard time. "Way to go, Captain Buzzkill," Dean grumbled in Cas's general direction.

Cas was puzzled for a moment, but then he got it just as Gail and Sam were opening their mouths to explain. "Oh," he said, appearing to consider. "Well, all right, then." He waved his arm in the air, but nothing happened; at least, nothing that any of the others in the room could see.

"What was that about?" Dean asked him.

"One of your spare rooms now has a fully stocked bar," Cas told him. He looked at Gail and rolled his eyes. "Lord help us," he said to her. Gail laughed.

Bobby came back into the room and looked at the lunch spread, pleasantly surprised. "Thanks, Cas," he said. "I guess you're forgiven. Until I have to go again."

Cas smiled at him. "Can I ask you a question before I go, Bobby?" His face turned serious.

Bobby had grabbed a plate, and he paused before starting to load up. "Sure, Cas, what is it?"

Cas hesitated for a moment, but he forged ahead. He really needed to make sure. "You're OK with gay people ascending into Heaven, aren't you?"

Bobby was a little taken aback. What a strange thing to ask. "Of course, Cas. Why would you even ask me that?"

Cas smiled again, relieved. Why, indeed. "I don't know, Bobby. I just wanted to make sure."

Bobby frowned. "I'm not Xavier, I'm me. I don't give a damn what anybody does in the bedroom. You oughta know that, Cas." He looked at his friend pointedly.

Point taken, Cas thought. Bobby had arranged for him and Gail to share a hotel room in Las Vegas, and had defended them to the board, saying that what had happened there was no one's business. And Bobby was thinking the same thing right now about himself and Rowena. But Cas didn't think he could ever agree about that. That was a different situation entirely. But he was not going to enter into that debate, at least not right now. He nodded to Bobby, acknowledging his comment.

Then he walked over to Gail. She was taking a seat beside Frank, getting ready to dig in. She looked up at him. "So I'll see you in a bit?" Gail asked him.

"Yes, you will," he said, and leaned down to kiss her on the cheek. Then he clapped Frank on the shoulder. "It's good to see the two of you together," Cas said, and Frank smiled. If Cas was trying to ingratiate himself, he was sure going about it the right way.

"Thanks, Cas," Dean said around a mouthful of food, and Gail rolled her eyes at him. At least he'd said thank you this time, but couldn't he ever just swallow before he spoke?

Cas waved Dean off. "It was nothing," he said, pleased to help.

"No, I meant for the bar," Dean smirked. "We still have the rest of the day, and once Gail leaves, we're gonna kick it up a motch."

"I'll be sure to put all the lights on and make a lot of noise when I come in tomorrow, then," Gail teased. She looked at Sam and they exchanged a smile, both of them thinking of the morning they had roused a very hung-over Dean and Cas in Las Vegas.

Apparently Dean was thinking of that too; he threw Gail a suspicious look and then went back to his food.

Gail put a hand on Frank's arm. "Just one of the many stories I'll have to tell you tomorrow," she said to her brother, smiling.

Frank was intrigued. He was glad she'd said that, though. He realized that his sister had a whole history with these guys that he knew nothing about. And while he was glad for her, he'd been wondering how he would fit in here, or if he even did. Obviously, their lives couldn't go on as they had before. He knew Gail was glad to have him back, but she had outgrown him. She had been busy making friends and having adventures, and he had been stuck in Hell. And he needed to do some serious atoning for what he'd done in Crowley's service. They'd have to talk about that, too. He might tease Gail about being an Angel, but the fact remained that she was, and so was her boyfriend, who she obviously doted on. He hoped she'd be able to handle what he had to tell her.

Castiel was watching them all eat together, bantering back and forth. He was feeling a bit left out, but it was his own fault, really. He could have given himself the gift and partaken with them. But it was just as well. He'd have been tempted to stay here all day with his family and then, before he knew it, his day would be over and he would be filled with more regret. He'd only get the one chance at being God, and after the stunt he'd pulled this morning, he knew he had not been worthy of his Father's gift. Nevertheless, it had not been taken from him, so he would continue. But he had to talk to Ethan, and it had to be now.

So he said his goodbyes, and winked himself back to Ethan's apartment.

"I'm so sorry, Ethan, I never should have put you in that position."

Cas was sitting on Ethan's couch, leaning forward with his hands between his knees and looking at Ethan earnestly. He'd confessed the true circumstances of Lanister's death to the young Angel and even though Ethan had been shocked, he was silent long enough for Cas to explain why he'd done what he'd done. Cas had explained that his planting of Gail's blade had been a knee-jerk reaction and, truth be told, so had Lanister's murder. He had killed Lanister out of anger and fear, and while he could not truthfully say he was sorry that the former board member was dead, Castiel had needed to come clean.

"Have you told Gail about this?" Ethan asked him. In the interests of full disclosure, Castiel had shared the details of his meeting with the board, specifically his original ruling on Lanister and Gail's argument against it. Ethan thought she was right, but he hadn't said so aloud.

Castiel's gaze shifted away from Ethan. "Not yet," he said uncomfortably.

Ethan sighed. This was not going to go over very well, he knew. It didn't particularly go over very well with Ethan, either, but he was trying to look at the big picture here. Cas was a good guy, and he had done a lot of good things today for his friends in Heaven, Ethan knew. And he was sure there had been other good deeds he wasn't privy to. Cas had had a very humanlike moment of weakness, but after all, it wasn't as if Lanister had been a decent man. Far from it, in fact. Cas told Ethan that it had been Lanister who had ordered that Gail be forced to watch Castiel's execution. And Lanister had been threatening to send Jason after Gail, and Ethan knew he would have followed through on his threats. Ethan could feel sympathy for Lanister over the death of his son, but Cas had explained the circumstances behind that too, and Ethan understood that Cas and Gail felt they'd had no choice but to kill those Angels. Cas had also talked about the two bailiffs he'd killed in the hearing room. Their deaths had been another knee-jerk reaction. Cas had just been sentenced to death, and he had felt trapped, cornered. It was Jason who was really the menace here, and they would have to put their heads together and figure out how to deal with him.

"Can you ever forgive me?" Cas said to Ethan now.

Ethan considered for a moment, but he didn't have to think too long. "Yeah, Cas, I forgive you," he sighed, leaning back in his chair. "But next time, before anything happens, just call on me and I'll help you."

Cas almost smiled. Ethan was being a good friend, but he doubted that would work if Castiel had his blade in his hand at the time. But he might have to move in here with Ethan for a while after he made his confession to Gail tomorrow. Though that thought didn't make him feel like smiling.

Once Castiel left Ethan's apartment, he knew what he wanted to do next.

When they had first visited Ethan, Castiel had told Gail about the residences in Heaven, and he'd joked about the fact that the two of them were homeless. But in reality, they were. He wanted her to have a real home, a place they could call their own.

So Castiel went back to Earth, and put his Godly powers to work.

Lunch was done, and there was still plenty of food, so Gail and Frank were in the kitchen, wrapping up leftovers and putting them in the fridge. The siblings had volunteered to clean up, but they really wanted a few moments alone together, and Bobby and the Winchesters knew it.

It felt good to be doing something normal together, domestic, even. Like Sam and Dean before they'd inherited the bunker, Frank and Gail had been nomads, living in motel rooms and eating a lot of takeout. She enjoyed having the run of the bunker now, and Frank was thinking about where he would go next. He wanted to go back to Hunting.

"Maybe Dean and Sam could farm me out a few cases," Frank said to his sister.

She closed the fridge and looked at him. Gail's feelings were mixed, to say the least. She'd just gotten him back and now he was already talking about taking off. But she knew Frank, so she knew he wouldn't be happy any other way. And Sam and Dean did the same thing, but they always came back. So she needed to let her brother be himself, just as he needed to let her be herself. But what did that mean, exactly? Where did she and Cas go from here?

"Home, for the moment." Castiel's voice, behind where Frank was standing.

He walked around Frank, smiling at Gail's brother. "I know the popping in and out is a bit unsettling at first, so I thought I'd give you a break."

Frank smiled back. "Dean said it still freaks him out, and he's known you for years," he said to Cas.

Cas's smile widened. "Why do you think that is?" he asked Gail, putting his arm around her.

"It's because he's got a guilty conscience about a lot of things," she quipped, and Frank laughed, but Castiel did not. There was a lot of that going around right now. That had hit a little too close to home.

But it was the middle of the afternoon now, and he had to stay on topic. "Did you have a nice lunch?" Cas asked Gail, kissing her on the cheek.

"It was great," Gail enthused. She'd had a wonderful time with the men, and was glad to see that Frank seemed to have been welcomed into the circle. She hoped Cas and Frank would hit it off too when they had a chance to sit down together.

Wait, what? What had Cas said when he'd first come in? Then Gail realized: he must have been answering the thought she'd had been having just before he'd made his appearance.

"Home?" she asked him.

"Yes, home," Cas repeated. "It occurred to me that we don't have a place of our own, and I thought I'd remedy that today, when I can get a lot more done a lot quicker than usual." He smiled at Frank. "Between you and me, I'm not very handy at building construction."

Frank smirked, but good-naturedly. Well, at least Cas was kind of funny. But Gail had told him at lunch that Cas was a bit quirky, and Frank had seen signs of that already. But seeing as he'd rescued Frank from Hell, Gail's brother would give him some slack. "Do you guys want to be alone?" Frank half-teased them. They were looking at each other now as if there was no one else in the room. Cas had his arms around Gail and her hand was touching his face. Frank felt a little weird just standing here. Yeah, this was going to take some getting used to.

They turned to look at Frank, and Cas smiled apologetically. "Sorry, Frank," he said. "We just endured a...bit of a separation, and it was hard on us." He stumbled on his words. Gail probably hadn't had the chance to tell her brother much of anything yet. He didn't think the first thing that Frank should hear was all about how Heaven had put Cas and his sister on trial, they had executed Cas, and his own Brother, who just happened to be Crowley, had brought Castiel back from the dead. He could just imagine how Frank was going to feel about that little tidbit. Imagine a happy family dinner at his and Gail's house, with Gail inviting her brother and Cas inviting his. They'd better serve soft foods only and hide all the knives.

"Not that you would know anything about difficult separations," Gail deadpanned to Frank, and he grinned.

Now Cas was embarrassed. What the hell was the matter with him? "I didn't mean...I'm sorry," he said to them, but they were both grinning at him now.

"We know, Cas," Frank felt compelled to say. The poor guy looked so distressed. "We're just teasing. That's just the way we are." He smiled at Gail, and she smiled back. It was true, but they hadn't had the chance to be like this in ages. And it felt good, even if it was at Cas's expense.

Cas sighed. "I can see that you're going to get along with Sam and Dean perfectly," he told Frank.

"They're good guys," Frank said, and now he was being serious.

They were all silent for a moment. Yes, they were.

But the clock was ticking. "Can you tell them goodbye for us?" Cas asked Frank. "I'm going to borrow your sister for the rest of the day. We'll be back tomorrow."

"Sure thing, Cas," Frank replied. "See you tomorrow, kiddo," he said to Gail.

"'Bye, Frank," Gail responded. "See you tomorrow." She still couldn't believe she was able to say that.

Cas took her hand, and they were gone once more.

Gail looked around the house in astonishment. "You put all this together in such a short time?"

Castiel smiled. "What can I say? I'm God."

He had built a small 4-bedroom house in the same town as the bunker, but on the other side of town. Close enough for Sam and Dean to visit as often as they liked, but not so close that they'd be popping by all the time, he'd joked to Gail.

"A little bit of a double standard, wouldn't you say?" she'd joked back.

"We need our privacy more than they need theirs," he'd answered, lifting an eyebrow to her. At least, he hoped that would be the case. That was another discussion they'd have to have. That is, if she was still speaking to him after the one they had to have tomorrow.

Gail was going to ask him why they'd needed a 4-bedroom house, then she realized she already knew. Plenty of room for two Winchesters and a Frank, with the master bedroom for the two of them. Castiel had given the place every protection at his disposal, and it was as safe as the bunker. No uninvited Demons, witches or even Angels could enter. Maybe especially Angels, considering recent events, and the fact that Metatron, Jason and Aurielle were still at large.

She'd been particularly pleased to notice two items he had chosen very carefully. When she'd walked into the master bedroom, there was a large TV standing on top of the dresser across from the bed. "I hooked it up myself," Castiel said proudly. She looked at him and laughed, remembering the trouble he'd had in Vancouver. Dean had had to talk Cas through the process then.

And in the living room above the couch were three framed pictures, one of each actor who played Castiel, Dean and Sam on the Supernatural TV show. What a sweet and nutty thing to do, Gail thought, and she laughed again. "I knew you liked those," Cas said, smiling. He was happy he'd thought of it. He pretended to frown. "Though I still think I'm better-looking than he is." He pointed to the photo of the actor who played Castiel.

Gail laughed some more. There had been some horrible events at the convention in Las Vegas, but there had been a lot of wonderful things that had happened there too, and those would be what she would think of every time she looked at those pictures.

"Welcome home," Cas said to her, opening his arms. Gail nestled herself into them. This was the happiest she'd ever been in her life.

"This house is completely safe," he assured her, "with every known protection. I know there are still dangers out there, but they won't be able to come in here."

She looked at him. They would have to deal with their remaining enemies soon. "'We that are true lovers run into strange capers'," she quoted.

Castiel was puzzled, searching his mind for the reference.

"Didn't Metatron give you any Shakespeare?" she teased lightly. "Cretin."

They laughed, and shared a kiss. Metatron, Gail thought. She may joke, but she owed him for executing Castiel. She owed him big time.

ACT II - THE TEMPEST

"Has Frank talked to you about any future plans?" Cas asked Gail now.

They were sitting on their couch, clasping hands. He'd wanted just a moment alone with her in their new home before they headed out again.

Gail frowned. "Yeah, he'll be heading out on the road very shortly. He's already talked about maybe catching some cases from Dean and Sam."

"Are you OK with that?" Cas asked her. He knew how she must be feeling. She'd just gotten her brother back and now he'd be going away again.

"I don't know," Gail sighed. "I guess I have to be. That's who he is, and now that he's gotten his life back - " she touched Cas's face, smiling - "he's got to live it, doesn't he? Besides, who knows what you and I will be doing, or Sam and Dean, for that matter." She paused. "The old days are gone. In a way, I'll miss them, but in a bigger way, I won't. Does that make any sense?"

Cas nodded. He could relate to what she was saying. He'd been thinking along those same lines when it came to himself. He needed to let the old ways go. And he would, just as soon as they dealt with the threats that were still out there.

But now she was looking sad. "I'm putting in a call to Kevin now. I'll have him set up an account for Frank, and make a generous deposit, just like we did for Sam and Dean. That will get him set up right," Cas told her.

Gail brightened a bit. "Thank you, Cas. It was always hard for us to make ends meet before. That way, Frank won't have to worry about that end of things, since he'll be alone now."

Castiel sent the call out to Kevin, glad to help Gail's brother, but she was still looking glum. Understandable, but...then he had an idea.

"How would you like to stop by and see how Barry is doing?" he asked her.

Her eyes lit up, but then Gail said, "Don't you have other things you want to do today?" She too realized that the afternoon was starting to wane, and he would only be God today.

"Can't think of a thing right now," Cas said gently. Truthfully, there were probably many other things he should be doing, but he couldn't think of anything he wanted to do more right now than to go back to the place where they had been so happy for a while.

Barry was overjoyed to see them. He hugged them both, and looked around before lowering his voice and asking, "Are you guys OK? When you left, you looked upset. I was hoping we'd see you or hear from you after that."

Cas and Gail exchanged glances. "It's a long story," Cas said casually, "and we don't have a lot of time to stick around today." Barry's face fell, so Cas continued, "We'll come back soon for a longer visit, I promise."

"How's Tommy?" Gail asked Barry.

Barry sighed. "He's OK. We've been having some ups and downs. But hey, not all couples can be as disgustingly close as you guys." He nudged Gail affectionately.

Gail smiled. Ups and downs, huh? If Barry only knew.

"Hey, are you going to play a couple of hands, Cas?" Barry asked him. "I'll seat you right away if you don't have much time. The hell with the waiting list."

Cas considered. He probably shouldn't waste time like that. He was about to say no when Barry put his arm around Gail and added, "I want to visit with this one for a bit. I've missed her."

How could he say no now? So Cas sat down to play, and Gail leaned down and spoke in his ear, "I won't be long; I'll just have a coffee with Barry and be back in a few minutes."

Cas nodded. He was glad she and Barry would have the chance for a quick chat; they'd been really close when Gail had worked here.

Gail and Barry walked over to the coffee shop and he was surpised when she poured them both a cup.

"I thought you didn't..." he started to say, but she smiled. "We don't, normally, but today, I do," Gail said to him. "It's a special occasion. But you'll have to pay," she teased him. "I don't have any money."

Barry paid for the coffees, but he teased her back. "Never mind, Cas will have his usual fortune in a couple of hands and he can pay me back."

They looked at each other, then Barry said, "Did you guys go back up to Heaven?" He looked around, making sure they weren't being overheard.

Gail sighed. "Yeah, but it's complicated, and there's a lot I can't really tell you. But it worked out in the end, and here we are."

Barry frowned. "I always thought that Heaven was supposed to be a fantastic place, but you don't seem too enthused."

Gail took a sip of her coffee, trying to figure out what to say. Her feelings about Heaven WERE complicated, to say the least, but just because she and Castiel had had negative experiences there, didn't mean that Barry and Tommy would. And now, thankfully, they would be able to ascend.

She put her hand on Barry's. "It can be a good place, Barry. God is a good man, and he really cares about us. I know him, so I know he does."

Barry's mouth dropped open. "You know God? Personally?"

Gail had to grin. "Yep," she said. In fact, she knew today's God very, very well. But there was no way she could tell Barry that.

Barry sat back and smiled. Wait until he told Tommy. After the night that Cas and Gail had left their place, Tommy had believed for a while, but when they didn't hear back from their Angel friends even after praying to them, Tommy's faith had wavered again, and he had pretty much convinced himself that their friends had been joking. Barry was angry at this notion, and they'd argued about it. Didn't Tommy think they had other things to do? Barry had asked him. Maybe they couldn't just show up out of the blue just because Tommy wanted them to. They probably had lots of people praying to them.

He told Gail this now, and she felt a little strange about the concept. She and Castiel had joked about Sam and Dean praying to them, but she'd never dreamed that Barry and Tommy would be praying to them as well, and that their other human friends had been serious about it, treating it as an act of faith. She'd been an Angel for nearly a year now, yet she'd never really stopped to think about those kinds of things. Did that make her a bad Angel? Of course, if otherworldly beings would just stop trying to kill her and Castiel for a while, maybe she could focus a little better, she thought sarcastically.

"What are you smiling about?" Barry asked her now.

"Nothing," she answered. "It's just good to see you again. And tell Tommy what I said, OK? We'll all see each other again one day, don't you worry." She winked. "Unless I can convince Cas to come here on a vacation soon." The instant she said it, Gail realized she wanted that very much. They obviously couldn't plan anything right now, but she made a mental note to bring it up with Cas in the future.

"Let's see how Cas is doing," she said to Barry, rising from her chair. "Sorry, Barry, but we have to get going."

Barry nodded. He was pretty sure he understood. They must have lots of things to do. He was just honoured that they'd stopped in to visit him, and that Gail had included Tommy in the conversation. Tommy may feel like there were a lot of people who hated them, but Barry would have to tell him that God didn't, and neither did his representatives. And after all, that was the most important thing.

Cas had played a couple of hands and won big pots, but he was starting to feel guilty about it. His Godly powers had enabled him to hear all the players' thoughts clearly, so it was like shooting fish in a barrel. Though he wasn't doing it consciously, it was still happening, and it wasn't fair. When he'd played before, he was just using his perception and intuition, but the game was still a contest; now it was a sure thing. So he put aside the chips he had won in the first two hands, then played a couple more, losing a bit back on purpose. He then stood to cash out, thinking he would seek out Gail and Barry in the coffee shop. The money he received from the hands he'd won, he'd give to Gail. Maybe she'd like to buy something for their new house.

But as he stood at the cash cage waiting for the money, Cas saw a breaking news bulletin on the big-screen TV that hung on the wall. There had been a devastating earthquake in Haiti. He stared at the images, appalled. Homes destroyed, countless injuries, about 100 people confirmed dead so far, and others were still missing. Those poor people. They'd had nothing to begin with, and now many of them had less than nothing.

He stood stock-still, ignoring the cashier as she was pushing the money through the slot. He was God today, wasn't he? Could he do something about this? Shouldn't he?

Just then, Gail walked up to him and, seeing the transfixed look on Cas's face, she asked, "What's wrong?"

He turned her around to look at the TV screen, and Gail was dismayed at what she was seeing. "We've got to help them, Cas," she said, and he was already nodding. He took her hand and they moved away from the cash cage. The cashier was calling after Cas, "Sir? Sir!"

Barry saw, and he smiled. "What are you, so rich you don't need your winnings, Cas? Or do you guys have to take a vow of poverty, or something?"

Castiel was preoccupied, but Barry was his friend, so he gave him a brief smile. "Do me a favour, Barry, hold it for us here. Something's come up; we've got to go."

"Haiti?" Barry asked, and Cas looked at him, startled. Barry was sharp.

"Yes," Castiel confirmed. Barry clapped him on the shoulder. "I knew it," he said, smiling. He kissed Gail quickly on the cheek. "Off you go, then," Barry told them cheerfully. "Poker can wait for another day."

They both smiled at Barry, and Gail waved goodbye. Then they walked around the corner to a dark alcove and winked out of the casino.

Castiel was amazed as he looked around at the devastation. There were very few houses left on this block, or the next; they had all been reduced to rubble. There were people all around, some of whom were wandering aimlessly, and others were digging around through the rubble, presumably looking for their possessions.

He would have loved to wave his arms and build all new homes for these people, as he had for himself and Gail, but Castiel knew that he could not. For one thing, there were too many people around. But even if there was no one, how could the sudden appearance of those houses be explained?

It was frustrating. How had his Father done it? No wonder people lost faith sometimes. He thought some more. Maybe he was approaching this from the wrong direction.

He'd wanted to see if there was anything he could do to help out here, but perhaps Gail had had the right idea. When they had first appeared here, she'd gone directly to the makeshift hospital they had set up at one of the town buildings that was still standing. He walked there now, and as he entered, Cas came upon a chaotic scene. There were a few local doctors and nurses moving from stretcher to stretcher, assisting as many people as they could, but there were too many injured, and there was too little medicine to go around. Castiel saw Gail standing over a woman with her hand on the woman's shoulder. She glanced around surreptitiously, but no one seemed to be looking. Castiel saw a momentary golden glow emanate from Gail's hand and absorb into the woman. He was startled for a moment; had he ever noticed that golden glow before? He tried to remember the last time he'd seen Gail do a healing, and Castiel found that he couldn't recall. Regrettably, he had had to do most of the healing on her recently, both in Vancouver, and when Jason had slashed her repeatedly.

She was moving on to the next stretcher, repeating the process, when he caught up to her. She had just finished healing a young boy, and she'd turned to go to the next stretcher when she bumped right into him.

"Hi," Cas said casually.

"Cas, you startled me," Gail breathed.

"What are you doing?" he asked her.

"What's it look like?" she retorted. "Helping people."

"Did you just suddenly show up here?" he asked incredulously.

Gail made a face. "Don't worry, I was discreet," she told him. "Are you kidding? Look at this place!"

People were rushing about all around them, bringing in stretchers, assisting with the injured. No one was even looking their way at the moment.

"One of the nurses asked me who I was when I first got here; I said we were with Doctors Without Borders," Gail continued. "She didn't even bat an eye. And I've only been healing the most severely injured people, the ones who really looked out of it. They won't even remember me."

Cas had to admit he was impressed. He'd wanted to help everyone, but they had to be careful not to call undue attention to themselves, and it seemed she had found a way to do that.

Just then, another stretcher was brought in near where they were standing. "My baby!" a woman was wailing. She was rushing after the stretcher and as it was placed on the ground, the woman fell to her knees beside it. "Please, God," she prayed out loud, "please help my daughter!"

Castiel's head felt like it was going to split open. This was a thousand times more intense than any prayer he had ever received before, or any transmission on Angel Radio. He was God, and he was here, and the woman was desperate.

He approached the stretcher, Gail trailing behind. The patient was a young girl, about 5 years old by the looks of it. She had a gaping chest wound, and it was bleeding copiously.

Castiel moved forward quickly, his first instinct to heal the little girl. He dropped to his knees opposite the child's mother.

"Can you help her, please?" the woman pleaded with him, sobbing.

But as he reached out his hand to place it on the little girl's chest, Castiel felt a hand clamp down on his shoulder and he was yanked to his feet. He spun around and faced Death.

Death looked at Castiel coolly. "Hello, Castiel," he said. "Funny to be seeing you again so soon."

Cas's heart sank. Death was here for the little girl. "Do you have to take her?" he said pleadingly. As if he didn't know better.

Death smiled tolerantly. "I think we both know the answer to that one. But I have a question for you. How did you get to be God? Last time I saw you, you were mine."

Castiel frowned. He remembered that, of course. He had been taken by Death to the Netherworld after his execution and dumped there unceremoniously. Death had afforded him the dubious honour of a personal escort, and he had chastised Cas throughout most of the journey for all of the souls Castiel had prevented him from getting in all the years since Creation. But, on the other hand, he had also sent quite a few Death's way by his own hand, warranted or not, Death had mused.

"So I suppose that's what's known as a 'push'," Death had said dryly. "Pity you won't be able to garner more for me now."

"It wouldn't have mattered anyway," Castiel had said defiantly. "I was a different Angel when I died."

Death had looked at him, a slight smile playing at his mouth. "You think so, Castiel? Well, I beg to differ. 'What's past is prologue'," he quoted.

Castiel had been annoyed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Death had sighed. "If you ever get back to Earth, and I suspect you will given our past history, look it up."

So now they were facing off again. "Our Father made me God for one day. Today. And I say you will not take her today."

Death threw back his head and laughed loudly, but of course, no one looked up because no one that was alive in the room could see him. The child's mother was still crying over her daughter, thinking she could be saved, wondering why that doctor was just standing there doing nothing. And Gail could only hear a low hum inside her head. She too was wondering why Castiel was standing there staring off into space. He seemed to be listening intently to something she couldn't hear, seeing something she couldn't see. But she was used to his ways by now, and the constant hum in her head signified to her that something otherworldly was taking place, so she let him be for the moment.

"That was a good one," Death said, wiping his eyes. "I haven't laughed so hard since I took Robin."

"I wasn't joking," Castiel said tersely.

"Really, Cas?" Death said in an eerie imitation of Dean. He and the Winchesters had made each others' acquaintance in the past, after all. "Didn't our Father tell you the rules when He appointed you?"

Death didn't even bother to ask why God had made the questionable call of putting this particular Son of His in charge for the day. God was Death's own Father as well, and Death knew his Father very well. God was known to be capricious, and His decisions were not always logical. But Death was glad it was only for the one day. Castiel was the sort of individual who could drive you crazy when you were only trying to do your job, and Death was very busy here today.

"Not that you ever stuck to the rules," Death continued in a sardonic tone. "But even God is bound by them, so I hate to tell you this, but you need to step aside and let me do my job." Then he smiled nastily. "Or, we could work out a trade, but I do not think you would like my terms." He looked at Gail.

Horror-stricken, Castiel stood aside and let Death touch the little girl. He'd known what the rules were, of course, but he'd had to try.

"As much as I'd like to stay and chat, I'm extremely busy here, as you can see," Death said to Castiel, smiling grimly. "But, knowing you as I do, I'm sure I can expect to see you again very soon, one way or the other. Oh, and Lanister sends his regards." Then he was gone.

Castiel was frozen for a moment as the sense of dread left him and guilt replaced it. He saw the child's mother looking up at him with hope, but there was no hope here and there had been no point in their having come here in the first place. Some rules could not be broken, even by him.

He went to Gail and took her hand, then he took them away from there.

They were back in their new home, and Gail was looking at him quizzically. "What was that all about?"

Castiel hesitated. How much should he be telling her right now? He hadn't wanted to have that conversation today. It was already early evening, and now he was the one who was feeling despondent. The day was waning, and he hadn't accomplished anything of any significance, he'd just conjured up a few trinkets for his friends and spent the vast majority of the day being selfish. OK, he had brought Frank back out of the depths of Hell, but even that deed had been motivated by selfishness, not altruism. And, on top of everything else, he had committed murder. So what had been the point of this whole exercise? If today had been a test, Castiel had failed, pretty much across the board.

He looked at Gail. He supposed he had to tell her something. He knew how strange it must have looked, him standing there having a telepathic conversation with an individual who would have been invisible to her. And thankfully, Death HAD been invisible to Gail. Cas shuddered inwardly when he recalled Death's cold gaze, and when his old adversary had looked at her, grimly joking about a trade, Cas's blood had turned to ice. Death could never have her; no matter what Castiel had to do, he would never let that happen. He'd called in a big favour with his Father when Gail had originally died in order that she could avoid that meeting and ascend directly. But now that she was a celestial being, the stakes were higher. If she were to be killed by an Angel blade, Death would probably arrive to escort her to the Netherworld, as he had done with Castiel, due to her having been invested By their Father with some of the powers of an Original Angel. And Cas sincerely doubted that he could depend on Crowley to pierce the veil twice.

Still, he had to explain his behaviour, so he told Gail merely that Death had shown up to take the little girl and Cas had unsuccessfully tried to dissuade him from doing it.

"Even God can't change destiny in that manner," he sighed, putting his head in his hands. There was much, much more to be said, but he just didn't have the heart for it right now.

Gail put her arms around him. "The reality is, you can't save them all, no matter how much you may want to," she said softly, trying to comfort him. She had always wondered when she'd been a human why God just seemed to sit back and let these catastrophes happen; now she guessed she had an idea. Things happened the way they were meant to happen, and apparently God was bound by the same rules that they all were in that regard. That dismayed her a bit. Who was really in charge, then? Nobody? Everybody?

"But despite the way you must be feeling right now, you've had a pretty good day," she continued, rubbing his back. "You've done a lot of wonderful things for people and Angels who deserved it. Even Dean," she quipped, trying to make him smile. "And me."

He raised his head and looked at her. He still didn't smile, but what she'd said had helped a bit. Suddenly, he realized he just wanted the day to be over so things could go back to normal. He'd never wanted to be God, and he didn't want to be now. He just wanted to be Cas.

"Are you hungry?" he said to her. Gail was startled by the question; she was used to not thinking about such things any more. "Why do you ask?" she said to him.

"Because I think I'd like to take you to dinner," Cas said. Now he was starting to smile.

She was glad he seemed to be feeling a little better. "It's a date," Gail said brightly. "Just think, a date with God. Won't all the girls be jealous," she teased.

Cas took her by the hands and brought her to her feet. He waved a hand over each of them and they were now dressed in the same clothing they'd been wearing on the night of their first date in Las Vegas. Then he gave himself the gift of an appetite. He didn't want Gail to have to eat alone.

Then he took her by the hand and they were at the restaurant in The Rio. They had dinner, drank some wine, and reminisced, only talking about pleasant subjects and good times they'd had.

When they were finished, they took a long walk hand in hand down the Strip, where Cas had one more surprise for her. They had their picture taken in front of the fountains just as they'd done before, and after it was done, Cas handed it to her. "Now you have your photo back," he said to Gail, and she felt happy tears prickle her eyes.

"What do you want to do now?" Cas asked her.

"Let's go home," Gail said.

Cas spent his last hours as God in his and Gail's new house. They were snuggled together on the bed watching TV, as they'd done so many times. And then, while there was still time, he gave them both one more gift. He reached for the remote and turned off the TV, then he turned to Gail and kissed her. "Care to relive the rest of the night of our first date?" he said lightly, smiling.

"Yes, I would," Gail answered, returning his smile. "I'd like that a lot."

So they made love, and then Cas gave them both the gift of sleep. He drifted off still holding her, and when they woke in the morning, Cas was no longer God, and he was thankful.

"To the bunker, then?" Cas said to Gail, and she nodded enthusiastically. "Of course," she replied. "Even though I won't be having breakfast and coffee today, I still have to get there early, and make as much noise as possible."

When Cas and Gail got there, no one was around, and they glanced at each other. Gail smirked. "This should be fun." She walked down the hallway, shouting the guys' names and banging on all the doors. She didn't know which of the spare rooms Frank was in, so Gail flung all the doors open just on general principles. Too bad the bunker was underground; she would have loved to have sent sunlight streaming into the place.

The men came stumbling slowly out of their rooms, bleary-eyed and cursing. Gail looked up at Frank, grinning. "Didn't I see you on that zombie show?" she said to him.

Frank looked at Sam and Dean, moaning. "As soon as one of you guys can find a weapon, you have my full permission to kill her," he lamented.

The brothers laughed, but that made their heads hurt. "Just wait till the next time you're human," Dean said as menacingly as he could.

Frank looked at him. "What?"

Gail grabbed her brother's arm. "Boy, do we have a lot to tell you," she said to him. Then she grabbed Sam's arm with her other hand and started tugging them towards the kitchen. "I'll make you guys some coffee. I'll even make you breakfast." She had enjoyed tormenting the guys a bit, but now Gail realized how eager she was to have them all sit down together and exchange stories. There was a lot Frank didn't know about her, and her life over the past year. And she was anxious for him to get to know Cas; they'd hardly spoken so far.

She made a pot of coffee, but no one wanted breakfast yet. As he had promised, Dean had cracked open a few bottles of the hard stuff from the bunker's new bar the day before, and the men had had more than a few shots.

Sam was rubbing his face with one hand and trying to keep from spilling his coffee with the other. "I don't know if we should thank you for that bar or not, Cas," he groaned.

Cas smiled mischeviously. "I only made it available to you; I didn't say anything about drinking it," he said.

Gail laughed. "Sorry, guys, but that was actually pretty good," she said. She was sitting next to Frank, and she nudged him. "Sorry to be a human now?"

Frank rolled his eyes. "Not on your life," he told her. "I'd suffer like this every day if it meant I didn't have to suffer in Hell."

They were all silent for a moment. Sam and Dean had shared some of their experiences with Hell and with Crowley yesterday, and Frank had shared some of his, and as more shots were downed, the Winchesters had ended up telling Frank far more than they'd intended about Gail's history with Crowley. Frank had been disgusted at how Crowley had tried to use and corrupt his sister, and he was very grateful to the brothers and to Cas for having gotten her away from the King of Hell. Too bad he hadn't been as fortunate.

Just as they began to talk about the events of the past year, Cas and Gail got an urgent call from Bobby: Sorry, but he needed to see them in his office right away.

Gail looked at Cas and sighed. They had just gotten here. What now? But God was calling, and he'd said it was urgent.

"Sorry, guys, we've got to go. Bobby is calling, and he's the boss again," Gail said, with a quick smile at Cas. She kissed Frank on the cheek and rose from the table to join hands with Cas, looking at the three human men once again. "And get some sleep, you guys, you look like crap," Gail couldn't resist saying.

By the time Dean found something he could throw at her, she and Cas were gone.

"We have a bit of a situation," Bobby said to them when they arrived in his office. "Have a seat."

As Castiel and Gail sat down in the chairs across from his desk, Bobby allowed himself a smile. "How are things at the bunker this morning?" he asked them.

Cas smiled. "A little grumpy," he replied.

Bobby nodded. He'd figured as much. He'd had a couple of shots with them yesterday for old times' sake, but then he had bugged out. He knew he wouldn't have been hung over today himself; after all, he'd still been an Angel, but after Bobby's experience with Lucifer and his subsequent self-examination, Bobby figured he'd best just leave it alone. Let the young bucks have their day.

"I like your brother," he said to Gail. "He's a good man."

She smiled. "Thank you, Bobby. Yeah, he is."

"So what was so urgent that you had to bring us up here so suddenly?" Cas asked Bobby. He was annoyed that they had been pulled out of the bunker before he'd had a chance to get to know Gail's brother a little better. It seemed like everyone had made his acquaintance now except for Cas, and since Frank was important to Gail, he was important to Cas now, too. And he knew that his tenuous connection with Crowley was bound to come out in one way or another, and Cas would prefer that Frank hear it from him, give him a chance to explain. Frank had good reason to despise Crowley, and Castiel had the feeling that his erstwhile Brother's name was going to come up sooner rather than later.

And Castiel's intuition proved to be correct.

"I just spoke to Crowley," Bobby said, frowning. "He wants to set up a meeting, and he asked for the two of you to come with me."

Castiel was appalled. He hadn't forgotten that the last time Crowley had "requested" his and Bobby's presence at a "meeting", Bobby had ended up trapped in Lucifer's cage. And why would Crowley want Gail to be there? Castiel didn't care that Crowley had recently brought him back from the dead, had cured Bobby of his insanity, and had not harmed one hair on Gail's head when he'd brought Castiel back to her; he was highly suspicious.

"Where?" Cas asked Bobby. "What does he want? And why does he want Gail to be there?"

Gail was very interested in the answers to those questions, too. Though she owed Crowley pretty much everything in the form of Castiel's return from the dead, she was also on high alert.

"This better not have anything to do with Frank," she fumed aloud. "If he wants him back, he's not getting him."

Bobby looked startled. This thought had not occurred to him. "He said that it was about Metatron," Bobby told them. "And while I wouldn't put it past him, I think he was sincere. He said that Metatron is threatening Hell."

Castiel was amused. "No one wants to get rid of Metatron more than I do, but if he's threatening Hell, why should we care?"

Bobby frowned. "Good question. I said the same thing. But then Crowley said something else that got my attention, and I think this will interest you both very much. Crowley offered to give us Jason and Aurielle, if we would help him with Metatron."

Castiel was stunned. The wheels started to spin in his head. Crowley must be really scared of Metatron, if he was willing to deliver those two. But why was he so frightened of Metatron all of a sudden? Not too long ago, Crowley and Metatron had been in Hell together, thick as thieves. Then Metatron had somehow been able to ascend to Heaven in time to execute Castiel, and then he had disappeared. So, what were they missing? But if there was even a chance that they could take care of all three of their Angel enemies in one fell swoop, they had to try.

"I guess we'd better set up the meeting, then," Castiel sighed, sitting back in his chair. He didn't like it, though. He looked at Gail and she gave him a half-shrug. No, he didn't like it one bit.

Bobby also sat back in his chair. He regarded Cas and Gail for a moment. They really weren't supposed to be privy to what he was about to show them, but he trusted them implicitly, and he didn't want to dance around, he just wanted to get this over with. Truthfully, he was glad they were both coming along, especially Cas. Bobby still hadn't forgiven, and he sure as hell hadn't forgotten, that it had been Metatron and Crowley who had overpowered him when he'd gone to trade himself for Sam and Dean, and when Bobby had woken up from that little adventure, he was in Lucifer's cage being his bitch. Bobby still didn't know if he actually had the power to smite anyone, but he might have to have Cas hold him back from trying. But he agreed with Cas; if there was even a chance they could take care of Metatron, Jason and Aurielle all at the same time, they had to investigate it.

"What I'm about to show you is top secret," Bobby said to them. "Only the presiding God is supposed to know about this. But you were God yesterday, Cas, and Gail, you're..." he trailed off, his beard twitching with amusement. "You're you, let's just leave it at that."

Gail was honoured that Bobby would include her in such a confidential matter. She held up her hand. "You can trust me, Bobby, I promise."

He turned around to the credenza and brought out the black phone, placing it on his desk. "This, boys and girls, is the Hotline to Hell," Bobby told them.

Gail was amused in spite of herself. "Sounds like the name of a song," she quipped. Come to think of it, its existence didn't really surprise her. Didn't the U.S. and Russia have a similar arrangement during the Cold War? Didn't they still?

But Castiel was amazed. That phone had been there the whole time? He was also angry. How many conversations had Xavier had with Crowley when Xavier had usurped Bobby's office? That certainly explained a lot. They'd probably had lots of little private chats while conspiring with each other to put him away.

Bobby picked up the phone and Crowley answered on the first ring, almost as if he'd had his hand already on the receiver.

"So, are you coming?" Crowley said to him.

Bobby's hand gripped the receiver tighter. "I believe the word you were looking for is 'Hello'," Bobby said, annoyed. There was no way this guy was going to talk to him like that, not after what Crowley had put him through.

"Yes, yes, Hello," Crowley said impatiently. "So, are we on?"

Bobby raised his eyebrows. Crowley sounded scared right out of his designer pants. This was intriguing. "We'll meet you at the crossroads where we met last in 10 minutes," Bobby said, and he couldn't resist adding, "I know you know where that is."

He slammed down the phone. "Cas, you're gonna have to help me here. I know you both told me that he cured me, but so help me, I'm gonna throttle the little bastard!"

Cas smiled grimly. "I'd promised myself I'd give him a pass the first time I saw him after that day. But I didn't promise anything about the second time."

Gail smiled, but she also hoped things could remain as civil as possible considering the history of animosity all three of them had with Crowley. If they could somehow neutralize all three of their Angel enemies, they could worry about Crowley later. That's if it wasn't a trap, of course. But Bobby was God, and she and Castiel had their blades. It would have to be enough.

They strategized for a few minutes, going over various scenarios. There was no way that Bobby was going to lead them into a trap, at least not without backup this time. So they popped into the bunker first, each taking a Hunter to the crossroads with them. Let Crowley try something now, Bobby had said grimly, and Castiel had smiled. Thank goodness Bobby was back at the helm.

Crowley was already there, and he was taken aback to see the group of six show up.

"What the bloody hell?" he exclaimed. "I asked for God and two Angels, not humans! And recently converted ones, at that," he added, sneering at Frank. It still stuck in his craw a bit that he'd had to give up Frank to Castiel.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you manners?" Frank yelled back. God, he hated this guy.

Crowley looked at him, amused but trying not to show it. Just as lippy as his sister, that one. "No, she never did," Crowley said slyly, "but I wager she taught God a thing or two." He smiled at Bobby, pleased with his own wit.

Bobby saw red. He started forward, but Cas grabbed him by the back of his shirt and pulled him back. Bobby wheeled on him angrily. "You told me to help you," Cas said mildly. He lowered his voice. "But the next time I could reach out for you and miss."

Bobby's mouth twitched. "Thanks, Cas." His friend had temporarily defused his anger. That reference to Rowena had been a low blow, however. Crowley had better watch himself. Bobby took a deep breath and turned back around to face the King of Hell.

"As you may recall, the last time I met you here, things went a little south," Bobby said to Crowley, trying to hold his temper. "I just wanted to make sure you wouldn't try it again."

"All right, fair enough," Crowley acknowledged. "But, not to worry. 'Hell is empty, and all the devils are here'," he quoted.

Gail and Sam exchanged glances. That sounded familiar, but they weren't sure why.

But Castiel bristled. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked Crowley.

Crowley arched an eyebrow at him. "Oh, I think you have an idea. You were a busy little boy yesterday, weren't you? Especially at the prison. Haven't had that little chat with Gail yet, though, have you?"

Now it was Bobby's turn to hold Castiel back, and he succeeded, but just barely.

Crowley looked at Gail. "You're very quiet today," he said airily.

She was trying to figure out what he'd been talking about when he'd made that remark to Cas. The prison? He hadn't mentioned he'd been there yesterday.

"Never mind," Crowley said, smiling. "You'll find out."

"Get to the point, Crowley," Dean snapped. His head was still pounding; the last thing he needed was this guy droning on.

"Metatron has the Demon Tablet, and he's threatening the close the Gates of Hell permanently," Crowley told them.

Dean was impressed. Crowley had actually gotten to the point. He must be really scared. Which was understandable, from Crowley's point of view. If the Gates of Hell were to be sealed for the rest of eternity, no one could get in or out again, and Crowley's Kingdom would wither and die. Sounded good to Dean.

"And we care, why?" he said to Crowley.

Crowley sighed. He'd known they were going to react like this. But they were missing the bigger picture here. Or at least, God and the humans were. Castiel and Gail were looking at each other, though, and they seemed to be doing that telepathic thing they sometimes did. God, he hated that thing.

Gail was communicating with her eyes, but she spoke aloud: "'Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows'," she quoted.

Crowley had to admit he was impressed. "The Tempest," he said to her. "I didn't know you knew Shakespeare."

"I knew what you said a minute ago sounded familiar," she replied. "I can match you quote for quote. And while you're the only devil I can see here, I see your point about the Gates of Hell."

Unfortunately, so did Castiel. While it sounded like a good thing on the surface, there was a need for the Gates of Hell to remain open. Where were all the souls of the evil supposed to go? They certainly couldn't ascend to Heaven, and Purgatory was only so large, and it was getting overcrowded as it was. Human and celestial existence was comprised of a system of checks and balances, and everyone had their part to play. He had regrettably been reminded of this hard fact just recently when Death had arrived to take the Haitian child and Cas had had to step aside and let him.

Sam also got what Gail was saying. They would be forced to make an alliance with Crowley to prevent Metatron from using the Demon Tablet. But how?

Crowley had a partial answer for that. "When Kevin was in my employ - " he said dryly, prompting a sharp look from Dean. Yeah, if you could call being tortured a job. " - I took the liberty of having one of my minions copy the engravings on the Tablet, and I saved Kevin's notes. If we can get him to look at the material, he could find a way to stop Metatron. Or at least to counteract what he may try to do."

Bobby frowned. Kevin was very smart, but they would have to protect him against Crowley. Kevin was an Angel now, but they all knew how ill-treated he had been by Crowley in life. Crowley wasn't the most gentle of taskmasters when he wanted something, and he had to be feeling desperate now.

"I know what you're thinking," Crowley said to Bobby. "Actually, maybe it's just as well that the boys are here." He smiled at Sam and Dean, who frowned back. They were still feeling like hell, and seeing Crowley's smile was not helping.

"I was going to have the Angels do it since they have their lovely new home," Crowley continued, prompting a sharp look from Castiel. What didn't his Brother know? "But since you boys are here, I propose you install Kevin in the bunker to work on the translation. I won't go near him; I can't, as you all know. That way, he can get the job done and be under the umbrella of the bunker's protections. As long as the evil Angels stay out of Sam, he should be fine."

Dean and Sam glared at Crowley. "Can't we just kill him now?" Dean said to Bobby.

Bobby smirked. "Much as I'd love to authorize that, we need those notes and engravings," he told the brothers. But he knew what a sensitive subject that was for them. When the Angel Gadreel had been in possession of Sam's body, he had killed Kevin in the bunker, and the Winchesters bore the burden of guilt for that.

Bobby sighed. "Well, you've managed to zing each one of us now, I think," he said to Crowley. He swore that was why Crowley requested these face-to-face meetings; they had a direct phone line, didn't they? Obviously, the King of Hell liked to look at the faces of his targets. But Bobby's patience with him was paper-thin now. "This meeting is over," he told Crowley. "Give us the stuff and we'll get Kevin to work."

Crowley eyed him warily. "If I bring it to you now, how do I know I'll survive the handover?"

Bobby smiled. Understandable for him to ask. All six of them had more than enough motivation to want to kill him, and as powerful as Crowley may be, he would likely be no match for God, two Angels, and three very pissed-off and hungover Hunters.

"I'll send the kids home," Bobby said dryly, "and you can bring the things to me." He glanced to his side. "And Castiel."

Crowley frowned, but Bobby said, "Take it or leave it, Crowley. We're doing you the favour here."

The King of Hell sighed. "All right. Be back in a jif." He disappeared.

Bobby turned to Gail and the human men. "Go back to the bunker and wait for us there," he instructed them.

But Dean wasn't so sure. He hadn't forgotten that right before Bobby had been taken to Hell and thrown into Lucifer's cage, Crowley had actually requested both him and Cas in the exchange. Now Bobby was volunteering the both of them to stay here, awaiting Crowley's return.

"I don't like it," Dean said. "I'm staying."

"No, you're not," Bobby retorted. "We've rattled our sabres, now I'm telling you I'll take it from here."

"Tell you what, I'll stay," Gail offered. "He asked for the three Angels initially anyway, and I don't have a sabre to rattle." Her mouth twitched.

But Castiel frowned. He didn't know if he wanted her here. He much preferred the idea of her being in the bunker.

"And don't look at me like that," Gail said to him. "'Entreat me not to leave thee, for whither thou goest, I will go'. See, I can quote the Bible, too." Gail pretended to pause for thought, then she quipped, "Or was that Creed?"

Frank laughed. He put his arm around his sister's shoulders. "I'd forgotten how funny you are sometimes," he said to her.

"We'll see you back at the bunker, boys," Bobby said pointedly, and Sam and Dean got the message. That was Bobby's serious voice. Bobby walked up to the three of them and touched each forehead individually, sending the three human men to the bunker.

Seconds later, Crowley reappeared, with a stone tablet bearing the reproduction of the engravings and a sheaf of paper with Kevin's notes. He handed both to Bobby, and Bobby handed the papers to Castiel, who put them in his inside jacket pocket. He could feel his blade there, and that comforted him.

"Castiel let you stay," Crowley remarked to Gail. "I'm surprised."

Castiel was annoyed by his remark. "It's not a matter of 'letting' her," he said to Crowley. "She is my equal partner. She can do as she likes."

"I'm not talking about equal rights," Crowley said, smiling slyly. "I'm talking about that other little matter."

There he went again. Now Castiel was starting to get really angry. He knew that Crowley just enjoyed playing with his head sometimes, but often Crowley knew things that he had no business knowing. Which was this?

"I can line up something special for Lanister if you'd like," Crowley said to Gail, then he turned to Castiel. "Thanks for sending him to me, by the way. My first Upper Echelon board member," Crowley said, smiling nastily. "Hopefully, not my last."

Now Gail and Bobby were both looking at Castiel, and his blood was boiling. Why couldn't Crowley have kept his big mouth shut? Castiel hadn't had the opportunity to tell either one of them what he'd done yet; he'd wanted to figure out how to cushion the blow first.

"Oh, didn't he tell you yet? Sorry," Crowley said, feigning innocence. He did like to play with Castiel, and persecution and execution aside, things had been going too smoothly for his Brother for too long now, in Crowley's opinion. "I'll await your call about Kevin," he said to Bobby, then he snapped his fingers and disappeared.

"What was he talking about?" Gail confronted Castiel immediately after Crowley left, but she realized she already knew. That was why he had ditched her in Heaven. Ethan must have taken him to the prison while she had gone to see Becky. Her heart sank.

"You didn't," Gail said softly.

"Somebody wanna tell me what's going on here?" Bobby said impatiently.

Gail looked at him. Hadn't he figured it out? "Cas killed Lanister at the prison yesterday," she said. She was fuming. Not only had he gone and done it after all, but he had had all day yesterday to tell her about it and he hadn't said a word.

Bobby raised his eyebrows. "Is that true?" he asked Cas.

Cas sighed. "Yes, it's true."

"Well, good riddance, I guess." Bobby shrugged. He wasn't all that bothered about it. As far as he was concerned, all of the board members had gotten what they deserved, and Lanister had been among the worst of them.

But Bobby could see that Gail didn't necessarily agree, and he could sense an argument brewing, so he told them, "I'm going back up to Heaven. Here," he said, handing Cas the faux tablet, "take this and Kevin's notes to the bunker. I'll talk to Kevin and send him down there when I'm done." Then he vanished.

"Well, I guess you were just humouring me," Gail said to Cas. "You were planning on killing him all along, weren't you?"

Cas walked closer to her, upset. "No, I wasn't. I didn't even go to the prison to see him, at least not at first."

"Oh, so you just went to the prison to see your old cell, maybe?" she retorted. "Feeling nostalgic, were you? Come on, Cas! How gullible do you think I am?"

Cas was starting to get mad now, too. "I may not have had the chance to tell you yet, but I had fully intended to. And whatever you may think of me for having done it, I make no excuses. He was hateful, and he was dangerous."

Gail looked at him. She was exasperated with Cas, and upset with herself, too. And why did this even bother her so much? A large part of her was glad that Lanister was gone. She'd argued for him not to be executed because she'd thought it was wrong for Heaven to kill one of their own in what amounted to a government-sanctioned murder; that was what the board had done to Cas, after all. But Lanister had ordered that she be forced to watch Cas's execution, and he had threatened her with Jason. Shouldn't she just shut up about it, maybe even give Cas a hug and a kiss? But it bothered her that he had done it so quickly and decisively after he'd said he was going to leave Lanister alive, and it really bothered her that he had not told her about it, even though they had spent quite a bit of time alone together the day before.

Castiel reached out for her hand, but Gail wasn't sure if she wanted him to take it. "You say you didn't go to the prison to kill him," she said slowly, looking at his hand, "and assuming I believe you - " his eyes flashed at that, and he put his hand down. " - then why did you go there?" she finished. She'd seen his reaction, and Gail instantly regretted having added that part about not necessarily believing him, but she'd blurted it out in anger. She tried to recall if he had ever actually lied to her, and found that she couldn't recall. Omitted, evaded, certainly; but out-and-out lied? She didn't think so. That had been uncalled for, and she was opening her mouth to tell him that when he said, "I originally went there to release the prisoners who were convicted in the other tribunals, and I did that. You can ask Ethan about it if you don't believe me. He was there."

His feelings had been hurt when she'd accused him of not telling the truth, and he was still angry. He had never lied to her, and he wasn't lying now. But even as Castiel's temper rose, he realized that he shouldn't be getting mad at Gail, not really. The bottom line was, he had lost it at the prison and he had committed murder, and his first impulse had been to cover it up. Just like the old days, when he and Jason had worked hand in hand. They had both used unsavoury methods in the past to achieve their goals, and Castiel was ashamed that that had been his go-to response, and he had lied to Ethan about it initially as well, though he had come clean to the young guard very soon afterwards. Why had he not done the same with Gail? Was it because he hadn't wanted to see the disappointment in her eyes, or was it because he knew that she would not tolerate that kind of behaviour from him? Or, worse, and to take it a step further, did he not want to discuss it with her because he did not want to be stopped from whatever similar actions he might want to take in the future?

But Gail felt bad now. She had basically called Cas a liar, and now he was telling her that he had gone to the prison to release the Angels who had been unjustly sent there by Xavier. Another unselfish act he had performed yesterday.

"Why didn't you tell me about releasing the prisoners?" she asked him. "That was a wonderful thing you did." Now she moved closer to him, looking to take his hand, but he was holding the tablet Bobby had given him with both hands now.

Cas frowned. "Maybe so, but what I did afterwards was not so wonderful." He sighed. He'd better come completely clean now, and let the chips fall where they may. "I honestly didn't go there to kill him, Gail. But Ethan told me Lanister had been issuing more threats against you, and I went there to tell him to stop. He wouldn't, of course, and he made me so angry, I just..."

"I'm familiar," Gail said dryly. Then she sighed. "I guess I shouldn't give you such a hard time about it, now that I know the circumstances. He was horrible to us, and I won't miss him."

She was letting him off the hook. Now was the crucial time; should he let it go, or should he re-open the can of worms and tell her the full story, the one that included the cover-up and the lie he had told to Ethan? Castiel knew what the right thing was to do here. He needed to tell Gail everything.

So of course, Cas did the opposite. He took her hand and said, "We'd better get to the bunker. Kevin will be arriving soon, and he'll need these things." And he told himself that that was true. They didn't have time for a protracted argument right now. Kevin needed the tablet and his notes to begin working on the translation, so they could prevent Metatron from closing the Gates of Hell, and receive Jason and Aurielle in return. That was the priority. He was convinced of that. He really was.

Crowley actually had no idea where Jason and Aurielle were at the moment. He'd had them on the radar when they'd first arrived on Earth, but now he had lost them. But he wouldn't tell Bobby and his merry band that, of course. Metatron had scared him badly when he'd called Crowley on the phone, quoting passages from the Demon Tablet that Kevin had already translated. So that was what Metatron had been talking about in Heaven, when he'd referred to destroying Crowley's Kingdom. The Demon Tablet had gone missing a few years back, and none of the major players had come forth claiming possession of it, so Crowley had put his concern about it on the back burner. But he had not even thought about Metatron. And why would he? Metatron had not even been on the grid back then. Though they were both Originals, Crowley knew that Metatron was preoccupied with getting his revenge against Heaven and screwing Castiel over in the process, two things that Crowley had heartily approved of. Then Metatron had been incarcerated in Heaven's prison after The Fall. So how had he come into possession of the Demon Tablet, and how could he have it now?

Well, it didn't matter, did it? The important thing now was preventing Metatron from using it. Crowley had realized he needed help on this one, so he had called Bobby out of desperation. Kevin was the only one Crowley knew of who had been able to translate the contents of the Tablets, both Demon and Angel, apart from Metatron himself, who had been the one to transcribe them in the first place. Crowley hoped that Kevin would be able to come through, and quickly. The Winchesters would likely coddle him out of guilt for what had happened to the young man the last time he had been under their so-called protection, and Crowley knew that was not the way to get him properly motivated. Kevin needed to be pushed, as Crowley had discovered when he had chopped off one of Kevin's fingers and then kidnapped Kevin's mother. The young man had buckled down then, Crowley thought, smiling grimly. A partial translation had been achieved, but then the Tablet had gone missing, and now here they were, with the Tablet back in play and in the hands of one of the few indviduals in existence who posed a real threat to Crowley.

Castiel would normally be another, but Crowley knew his Brother would ensure that Kevin got to work. Though he would be kind to Kevin, Castiel would have no compunctions about encouraging the young Prophet to work 24/7 if need be. And when the time came, Castiel was fully capable of helping Crowley to take care of Metatron. So the King of Hell supposed it had been a good thing that he had decided to bring Castiel back from the void.

But that didn't mean he couldn't play with his Brother a bit, and Crowley had enjoyed seeing the look on Castiel's face when Crowley had mentioned Lanister. Crowley had nearly always been able to see what Castiel was up to, when he chose to look. The only place that had been shielded to Crowley was the bunker; except for the time that he'd been able to view the quartet through his mother's enchanted mirrors, Crowley could not see what went on in there, nor in the Angels' new home. But he had certainly seen Castiel killing Lanister in Heaven's prison, and the scene had made Crowley smile. His Brother had done what should have been done in the first place, what Crowley himself would have done. Actually, Crowley would probably have tortured Lanister first, just to emphasize the point. But the end result was the same, and Crowley applauded Castiel for making the right call. He had been a little surprised to view Castiel's actions immediately following the murder, though. Lying, attempting a cover-up? Interesting. Maybe Crowley had breathed a little too much Demon into him when he had given Castiel the breath of life, either consciously or subconsciously. That would certainly explain Castiel's reversion, albeit temporarily, to his old self. And it would be only fair; a little payback for when Castiel had injected Crowley with his own Angel blood back when Gail had almost been Crowley's.

But, negligible side effect notwithstanding, Crowley was fairly confident that the good in Castiel would win out in the end. And if he lost that struggle with himself, Gail would be there, keeping him on the straight and narrow. Maybe that was really why Crowley had stirred up the pot by blabbing to Gail about Lanister's murder and presence in Hell. Perhaps he didn't want Gail to hold Castiel in check. Crowley kind of wanted to see that side of his Brother re-emerge; they might actually get along better if Castiel were to surrender to his baser urges a little more often. And while Crowley supposed that Gail would be only too glad to satisfy one of those urges, she would never stand for Castiel's return to the type of Angel he had once been. She had forgiven a lot, but her tolerance for torture and murder would stretch only so far before it would break.

Did Crowley care? He supposed not. He held no particular resentment towards Gail any more, or even to her brother Frank, but the siblings annoyed him. He had spent so much time and energy trying to acquire the pair of them, and what had it all been for? He had bigger things to worry about now.

Metatron was caressing the Demon Tablet, savouring the fear he had heard in Crowley's voice when Metatron had called him, quoting a couple of passages from it.

"Would you stop fondling that thing?" Jason snapped. "You're going to wear the grooves right off of it."

Metatron smiled up at him. Crowley had thought that Metatron was the cretin, but if that was true, Jason was a Neanderthal. He had no appreciation for the simpler pleasures in life. To Jason, torture and murder were their own reward. He couldn't appreciate the sweetness of anticipation, or the application of poetic justice. But he wasn't the Boss in this situation, Metatron was, and Jason had best remember that. He reminded Jason of this now.

"Yes, yes, I know," Jason replied impatiently. When Metatron had found him and Aurielle here on Earth and had proposed the partnership, Jason's first churlish instinct had been to refuse. He'd wondered how Metatron had found them in the first place. Like his nemesis Castiel, the first thing Jason had taken care of when he and Aurielle had arrived had been to get a warding tattoo. Jason was now flying under the radar, or so he'd thought. But Aurielle had flatly refused to get one, and Jason supposed that must be how Metatron had found them here in the cabin.

"I told you to get it," Jason had raged at her. "Castiel can sense you without it, and so can Gail."

But that had been the wrong thing to say. Aurielle had no problem with that; in fact, she welcomed it. She'd had no idea how she was going to find them. Jason had told her that her targets both had the tattoo, in an effort to persuade her to get her own. But Aurielle hadn't wanted to mark her vessel that way; she wanted it pristine for Castiel. She'd now come to the conclusion that if that was what he needed, she would be only too willing to surrender herself to him. The book had a spell for that, too. Maybe he thought that Aurielle was too pure, and that was why he had taken up with Gail instead. Aurielle was prepared to do whatever it took to be with Castiel, and a tiny part of her had always wondered what those kinds of Earthly pleasures would be like. She'd always thought that it was wrong, but maybe it was Aurielle who had been wrong. Perhaps it wasn't Gail's spell alone which had bonded her and Castiel together. And if an exalted Angel like Castiel thought that sex was good, who was Aurielle to say otherwise? Maybe she should offer herself to him once she had him here, casting the love spell on him. Aurielle had already begun gathering some of the ingredients here in the woods, and she had planned a trip to the city soon to get others.

Then Metatron had arrived, with his smile and his promises. He had his own agenda with the Demon Tablet, but he was more than willing to help the both of them with their goals, as well. Metatron knew what each Angel really wanted, and those desires did not currently conflict with his own. Metatron now knew that Castiel was alive once more, and that Crowley had been the one to bring him back. Unbelievable. But Crowley had not done it out of the goodness of his heart, Metatron was sure. The King of Hell wanted to form an alliance with Castiel to get rid of him, two Originals against one. And with their combined power, it could very well work. But if Castiel were distracted or ideally out of the picture altogether, it would just be Crowley against Metatron, and Metatron had the Demon Tablet.

So Metatron had been only too happy to egg Jason and Aurielle on. Jason could torture and kill Gail, and Aurielle could capture Castiel and cast her little spells on him if she thought they could work. Meanwhile, Metatron would be taking care of Crowley. Once that was done, Metatron didn't really care who won in a showdown between Jason and Aurielle. The smart money would be on Jason, but you couldn't discount the power and motivation of crazy, either. Metatron knew that Jason wanted Castiel for himself; Jason had not gotten over his bitterness at not having been allowed to execute Castiel. But Metatron had pulled him aside when Aurielle had been in the woods collecting her ingredients, and he had told Jason he could still have everything he wanted. Didn't Jason want to see Castiel suffer before he killed him? Yes, Jason would enjoy that very much. And wouldn't he like to see Gail suffer, as well? Yes, Jason had replied again, smiling at the prospect. Well then, let the Angels come here together. Jason could tie up Gail, and Aurielle could tie up Castiel, and then they could get to work. Before their targets got there, they could paint invisible sigils on the cabin walls. Neither Jason nor Aurielle would need Angel powers for what they were proposing to do to the couple. Then Jason could torture Gail, forcing Castiel to watch. And Aurielle could try her spells out on Castiel, and if he succumbed to her, that would be the last thing Gail would see before she died. Let Aurielle have her little rendezvous, Metatron had told Jason. Then, when Gail was finally dead, Jason could do as he wished. Kill Aurielle, torture Castiel, whatever he wanted. Sounded good to Jason.

But then Metatron had gone outside, telling Jason he wanted some fresh air, and he had sought out Aurielle. He outlined the same scenario to her, only he revised the end of the story. Once Aurielle had had the sweet satisfaction of seeing Gail tortured by Jason, and once Aurielle had some sweet satisfaction herself in the form of Castiel's lips and hands, Aurielle could watch Jason kill Gail and then she could kill Jason herself and keep Castiel. Sounded good to Aurielle.

Metatron had walked back to the cabin, whistling. What fun this was going to be. And he didn't even have to do anything, just sit back and watch.

He didn't know that Crowley had a reproduction of the markings on the Tablet, though, and Metatron would certainly never have thought that Kevin would ever help Crowley again. He was in for a big surprise.

And Kevin had been reluctant at first, to say the least. If it had been anyone but Bobby asking, he would have just up and walked out of the office. Or maybe Cas; Kevin owed him big time for bringing his mother to Heaven.

But Bobby advised Kevin that Cas and Gail were on board, and so were Sam and Dean. And Kevin would be going down to the bunker to do the work, so he would get to see his friends and spend some time with them.

"Is there anything you need to get the job done fast?" Bobby asked Kevin. He wanted to be kind to the young Angel, but he also wanted to impress upon him how urgent the situation was.

Kevin thought for a minute. He guessed there would never be a better opportunity to bring it up, but he wondered if he should. He did realize how serious the situation was; Bobby didn't have to worry about that. Both he and Chuck had been having visions about Metatron for the last couple of days, and they weren't pretty.

But Kevin had never had a girlfriend before, either, and now that he and Becky had been seeing each other for a while, Kevin wanted to keep her happy. Ever since the trauma of Cas's tribunal, Becky had been lamenting the fact that she had lost both of the girlfriends she had had in Heaven. Aurielle was truly lost to her now. Becky had finally come to the full realization of who Aurielle was, and Becky had given up on her. But Gail was her other friend, and Becky told Kevin she missed her terribly. Kevin hated to see Becky so despondent; she was usually so upbeat. But Kevin knew the tribunal had been really hard on Becky. Even though everything had worked out in the end, the tragedy of Cas having been executed and Gail's subsequent heartbreak had really gotten to Becky, and she had been distant and aloof ever since.

Kevin thought a field trip to Earth might be just the thing to lift Becky's spirits. She could help him with some of the paperwork, maybe, but honestly, Kevin didn't need any help. He just wanted Becky to be happy.

So he asked Bobby if Becky could accompany him to the bunker, and Bobby thought about that for a minute. Even though he'd been away for a while and had been out of the loop, Bobby had heard through the grapevine that Kevin and Becky were frequently seen together, and Bobby was no fool.

"If I say OK, you have to promise me that there won't be any fooling around," Bobby said sternly.

Kevin looked taken aback by that. Surely Bobby wasn't suggesting...?

"I didn't mean it like that," Bobby hastily amended, having read Kevin's thought. Lord help him. "I just meant, we need you to focus on getting the job done. You know how important it is."

"Oh. Absolutely, Bobby. You can count on me." Kevin was earnest, and he was sincere. He knew that if Metatron was able to close the Gates of Hell, the consequences would be dire. He and Chuck had been talking about it for a few days now.

Bobby sighed. It went against his better judgement, but he had a soft spot for Becky. Bobby had also picked up on some of Kevin's thoughts about Becky and how despondent she'd been feeling, and Bobby knew that depression had caused Becky to kill herself in the first place, though he still didn't know what she had been so depressed about. Sam had never shared his secret with Bobby, so Bobby remained in the dark about Becky's feelings for Sam, and of course, Kevin had no idea.

"All right, Kevin," Bobby said. "Go get her, and I'll send you both."

Becky was beyond excited when Kevin came to her cubicle to collect her. He saw her face light up when he told her where they were going, and Kevin knew he'd made the right decision by asking Bobby if she could accompany him to the bunker.

Poor Kevin. He had no idea. His mother did, of course. One of the first things Kevin had done upon his mother's arrival in Heaven was to introduce Becky to his mother. But Linda had narrowed her eyes upon meeting the girl. She was cute, and she seemed nice enough, but Linda just felt there was something off about Becky. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. But Becky wasn't looking at Linda's son the way that Linda would want a girl to look at Kevin if she was serious about him. Although Linda knew that they were Angels and not humans, and things worked differently up here, she was still a mother and she didn't want her son to get hurt.

But Linda had said nothing at that first meeting, thinking she would try to get to know Becky a bit better before passing judgement. Unfortunately, by the time Linda stopped by Kevin's office to talk to him about getting together with Becky again, Kevin and Becky were already gone.

That afternoon, Kevin was hard at work on the translation. He had Crowley's faux tablet in front of him on the table, his notes beside him, and he was puzzling over the remainder of the passages. Every time he thought he was finding the handle, the words he thought he was seeing made no sense.

Sam had hovered for a while, thinking he could help, or at least provide Kevin with some source materials from the bunker's library, but his presence had only served to distract Kevin, so Sam had given up.

Becky was sitting at the table too, and she had been quiet so far, content just to gaze at Sam. He had been startled to see her appear here with Kevin. What was she doing here? he'd thought. Then Kevin explained that Becky was here to help him, but Sam was on alert. He knew Becky, of course, and she was no scholar, to be diplomatic. And all she'd done since they got here was, well, nothing. Sam could feel her eyes on him, following him as he walked around the room. It was starting to creep him out a bit.

When Sam couldn't stand it any longer, he walked down the hall and into the kitchen, where Dean, Frank, Gail and Cas were talking.

Becky watched Sam leave the library area but she figured she'd better not follow, at least not right now. She'd been relieved that Kevin hadn't introduced her as his girlfriend, but she knew he considered her as such, and now that she was here, she didn't exactly know how to proceed. Kevin's invitation had been very welcome, but very sudden, and she hadn't had any time to prepare, to think about what she was going to do when she got there. Now she was in Sam's home, a stone's throw away from him, and Becky had no clue how she was going to get him.

She had seen him look at her strangely, and Becky was a little worried. He'd liked her in Las Vegas; she knew he did. But now that Sam knew her true identity, he was acting all weird around her. Becky hoped he wasn't still thinking about that day in the coffee shop. She was different now; she just needed to figure out a way to show him that.

Kevin had been working hard, appreciating the urgency of the situation, so he hadn't noticed the glances between Becky and Sam. But he was frankly a little glad that Sam had left the room. His constant hovering had indeed been a distraction for Kevin, but not because of the concentration factor. It was because the last time Kevin had been here, he had been alive, and Sam's hands had been around his throat. OK, not Sam, but they had still been his hands, and they had been attached to Sam's body. It was kind of freaky to sit here and be stared at by the person who had the exact appearance of his killer. Kevin knew that Sam was himself now and would never do a thing to hurt the young Prophet, but it would still take a little getting used to.

He glanced at Becky. She was just sitting there quietly. Kevin didn't think he'd ever seen her like that before. He was glad she wasn't chattering away, causing him to lose focus, but it was still strange. Gail was in the kitchen, but Becky hadn't made a move in that direction. Maybe she was too shy. Gail was in there with her brother Frank, who they didn't know, Castiel, and now both Winchesters. Becky probably didn't want to barge in on them. Oh well, they couldn't stay in there forever. Sooner or later, Gail would come out and then the girls could talk.

In the meantime, he had to buckle down. He had just begun to translate the passage which referred to the closing of Hell's Gates, and Kevin's nerves were on edge. Hopefully the Tablet markings would also contain something on how to prevent that from happening. But it was also important to know how it could be done. Maybe if they knew how Metatron was proposing to do it, they could stop him in time.

"How's Kevin doing?" Dean asked Sam as his brother walked into the room.

"Working away," Sam replied, pouring himself a cup of coffee. "It doesn't look like he needs my help, so I left him alone."

Dean had been glad to see Kevin again, and though he wished the young man was still alive, Dean was at least glad to see that Kevin seemed to be doing all right as an Angel. Apparently, he and Chuck had turned out to be heroes in Heaven, and even though their rebel group hadn't been able to thwart Cas's execution, they were still the best allies Cas had had in Heaven. Dean had to hand it to them. Who would have figured that Chuck would turn out to be such a good and decent Angel? And Kevin had been a good kid as a human, but he had been very young when Gadreel had killed him. Apparently, Kevin had grown up in Heaven. Dean sure hoped so. The Demon Tablet was nothing to screw around with.

Gadreel. Just the thought of him made Dean fume. It may be Sam's hands that had physically killed Kevin, but Gadreel's presence here in the first place had been all Dean's fault. In his desperation to save Sam, Dean had brought Gadreel in to possess his brother's body, and Gadreel had killed Kevin as per Metatron's orders and stolen the Demon Tablet. They should have known that Metatron would surface with the damn thing. But he'd been locked away in prison, and then he'd been in Hell. And then somehow, according to Cas, Metatron had suddenly been in Heaven, killing Dean's best friend. Now he was back with a vengeance, and he was threatening the Kingdom of Hell. Dean wasn't necessarily convinced that was a bad thing, but Bobby and Cas seemed to think it was, so Dean guessed he had to be on board. But he still felt incredibly guilty about Kevin, and he also thought it was weird that Becky was here with him. That was probably why Sam had really come in here; he probably couldn't stand Becky looking at him with the doe eyes any more. Dean just thought it was funny. Becky was an Angel now, and when Kevin had done the job, they would be going back to Heaven. In the meantime, let Sammy sweat a little. Dean had warned him not to go there in the first place.

As Sam sat down at the table, Dean and Gail were continuing their narrative. They had been telling Frank about their adventures over the past year, and Frank had been amazed at all the crap his sister had been through since he'd been gone.

Dean had apologized to Gail for the day before, and she had been a little surprised. They were grown men; what did she care if they had gotten drunk?

"Not that," Dean had said. "Sammy and I kind of let it slip about what happened with you and Crowley."

Oh. Well, Gail supposed she should be grateful, in a way. Better them than her. She was still ashamed of that little sojourn, and she always would be. At least Frank knew now, and hearing about the fact that Gail had temporarily succumbed as well had probably made Frank feel a tiny bit better about his own experience with Crowley.

So as Sam sat down, Gail said to Frank, "That was more or less why I decided to become an Angel. To make up for all the bad things I did there." She had stated to the contrary on the witness stand, but her statements had been based on the guilt she was feeling at the time. Gail now realized that her desire to atone for her time with Crowley had been the real motivation for her wanting to be an Angel. Her relationship with Castiel had just been the biggest bonus she had ever received in her life.

But Frank was puzzled by that. "But you were his victim. What do you mean, 'the bad things you did there'? These guys rescued you, didn't they?"

Gail looked at Frank incredulously. "Yeah, but what would you call killing a little boy? OK, yeah, he was a Demon, but we only found that out after."

"What? Killing a kid? What are you talking about?" Frank said, raising his voice.

Crap, Sam thought. We didn't tell him that part. He and Dean might have been well on their way to being drunk at the time, but there were certain things you just didn't tell a guy about his sister. They hadn't seen the point in bringing up this ugly fact. Gail was fine now, she'd been saved from Crowley, end of story.

"We didn't tell him about that, Gail," Sam said uncomfortably. "We didn't see the point."

Great. And she had opened her big yap about it. Frank was looking at her strangely now. Gail sighed, and explained what had happened as best she could.

Castiel took her hand as she told Frank the story. He had been quiet up till this point, realizing her need to share her experiences with her brother. But he wanted to give her moral support. He knew how she'd felt about what she had done then, and how she still felt about it.

Frank was frowning. So his sister had actually killed for Crowley, too. It sickened him. He should have cut off Crowley's head when he had the chance.

Cas misinterpreted Frank's frown, and Gail was looking forlorn, so he felt the need to say to Frank, "Do not condemn your sister for something you yourself have done many times over."

Ouch. Sam and Dean winced. Not exactly the greatest way to build a friendship with the guy who might be your brother-in-law. They still had no idea what was going on between Cas and Gail, but they weren't stupid.

Gail made a face, too. It wasn't as if Cas was wrong, but she wished he wouldn't have been so blunt about it. He and Frank barely knew each other, and Frank wouldn't be used to his way of talking yet. She saw Frank's expression darken.

Frank laughed then, but it was a derisive laugh. "Who said I'm condemning her? And I'm well aware of what I've done, thanks. I feel crappy enough about it. I was just upset that son of a bitch got to Gail, too. But like I said, thanks. It's good to know my sister's got such a holy influence in her life now," he said sarcastically.

Now it was Cas's turn to frown. He hadn't intended to offend Frank, but his protective instincts had surfaced when Gail's brother had looked at her that way. Xavier had put her through a gruelling examination on the subject at the tribunal and he didn't want to see Gail have to take anything like that again, not even from her brother; not from anyone.

The tension in the room was thick for a moment, then Dean said, "You wouldn't be saying that if you'd seen Cas in Las Vegas."

They all looked at him, and then the two Angels and the Winchesters started to laugh. But Frank was puzzled again. Vegas?

Gail put her hand on her brother's arm. Poor Frank. "We'll get there, I promise," she told him. "But you guys have to settle down." She put her other hand on Cas's arm and looked at the two of them. "We've all had an...interesting year, put it that way. But we're all family here, one way or the other. Let's remember who the bad guys really are."

She had a point there. Cas extended his hand to Frank to shake. "I'm sorry, Frank. I get a little carried away when it comes to your sister sometimes. I'm sure she'll tell you that." He smiled.

Frank looked at his hand, then put out his own, and they shook. Frank guessed he could appreciate that, but up until recently, taking care of Gail had been his job. Did Cas think he was the only one who cared about Gail? But he had Cas to thank for being here in the first place, so Frank would try to get along with him.

"I'm sorry, too," Frank said to Cas. "I guess I owe you twice. One for bringing me back up here, and the other for sticking you in Crowley's den. I hope you know that wasn't me."

Gail frowned now. She knew that Frank was talking tough for the mens' sake, but she knew him better than that, and she knew that Frank felt terrible about what he'd done for Crowley.

"And I"M sorry for 'sticking' YOU in Crowley's den," she said to him sharply. "Maybe we could refrain from talking about killing each other so casually." Cas's recent death was still too painful, let alone the memory of Frank's having stabbed him in Crowley's den.

"Sorry, Gail, you're right." Frank sat back in his chair and sighed, looking at the others. "The truth is, I feel like crap about everything I did for Crowley. I know, Demon blood, blah, blah. But the fact is, I still did them, and I still have to own that. So I want to go back to Hunting, balance the scales a little bit."

Sam and Dean exchanged glances. Frank was talking their language. Maybe that was why they had bonded yesterday over the beer and shots they'd had. They really were a lot alike.

Cas was happy to hear Frank talk like that. He was really regretting what he'd said to Frank now. Gail brother seemed like a good man, and Gail was right, they were all family now. "I'm sure that Sam and Dean will help you however they can," Cas said to Frank, "and I'll be glad to help, too, if you'll let me."

Gail's heart was full. Now that was more like it. "You've already helped Frank," she said to him, smiling.

"Of course; it's thanks to him that I'm even here," Frank said, nudging his sister.

She looked at him. Was that all he had to say? Oh, wait. They hadn't told him yet, had they?

"That's right, we never got the chance to tell you," she said to Frank. "Cas set you up with your own bank account yesterday."

Frank looked at Cas. "Really? You did that for me?"

Cas was embarrassed. "Yes, Frank. You're family."

Gail kissed Cas on the cheek, then did the same to her brother. "See? Now we'd better get on with the rest of the story. You humans aren't getting any younger," she teased Frank.

"Shut up, Gail," Dean said good-naturedly.

Frank looked at him for a moment. "It's OK, we have a thing," Dean said to him.

Gail smiled. "Yeah, we do." She elbowed Cas. "Hey, how come you never stick up for me when Dean gives me a hard time?"

"Him, you can take care of all by yourself," Cas said, smiling. "In fact, I've seen you do it." He was thinking of their sessions in the training room when they'd first taught Gail how to fight. Somewhat surprisingly, of himself, Dean and Sam, Dean was the only one Gail had ever managed to beat.

"That's cause I don't beat up girls," Dean said, rather stiffly for him. The fact was, she had honestly beat him in the training room, but he didn't want to admit it out loud.

Gail smirked at him. He wasn't foolong anybody, but she'd let him have that one. "But we're getting ahead of ourselves," she said to Frank. "Let's backtrack a bit." She finished her story about the explosion, and the fact that she and the Winchesters all got to decide how they wanted to conduct the rest of their lives. Sam and Dean had chosen the status quo, but she had chosen to be an Angel, with God's blessing.

"God? I thought Bobby was God," Frank said, confused. Except for yesterday, apparently, when Cas had been God. What kind of a world did his sister live in now? But he hadn't even heard the half of it yet.

"No, the original God," Gail said. "He was still in charge when I became an Angel. I wish you'd gotten to meet Him, you guys," she said to the three human men. "I really liked Him."

"What happened to Him?" Frank asked.

Cas interjected. "He retired, believe it or not." He smiled at Frank. "But He'd been doing it since Creation, and I guess He was just burned out. That's the expression, right? It was tough to see Him go, though. I'd been with Him since the beginning."

Frank said, "The beginning of what?"

"Of time," Cas said simply. He wondered if Gail was going to bring up the Garden soon. He kind of hoped she wouldn't, not yet, anyway. He and Frank were just starting to get along again.

Frank studied Castiel. "Just how old are you, anyway? And who does your skin care?"

Gail laughed. Damn, why hadn't she thought of that one? She pushed Frank playfully. "Don't you know it's rude to ask that question? However, the skin care one might be valid. I'll allow it," she teased.

Cas was smiling gently. "I honestly do not know how old I really am," he answered Frank. He'd sometimes wondered that himself. Other than asking his Father, there was no way to know, really. "But I think I've aged pretty well."

"I'd say so," Gail quipped, kissing him on the cheek again.

But they were teasing, of course. Cas explained the concept of vessels to Frank. Most Angels were able to retain their original appearances when they ascended, but as Castiel had been around so long before he was sent to Earth, he'd had no human body, so he'd had to possess Jimmy Novak in order for humans to be able to perceive him without going blind. But he had been in Jimmy's vessel for years now and Jimmy had ascended, so Jimmy's body and face were now his.

Weird, Frank thought. He was glad that Gail still looked and acted like herself. "So, God retired?" Frank said, trying to stay on the subject. "And what was Bobby, like, the heir apparent, or something?"

"No, he got the job after Cas turned it down," Gail told him. She'd wanted to tell Frank that Cas had been God's first choice. She still wasn't convinced that he was OK with Cas, apologies aside. Perhaps it couldn't hurt to let her brother know that Castiel was so well thought of by God that he had been God's first choice for His replacement.

"Why'd you turn it down?" Frank asked Castiel, curious.

Cas hesitated. Why, indeed? He was feeling a little better about himself now since yesterday's self-doubt, but he remained firmly convinced that he could never have done God's job. But he was just getting to know Frank, and he was not about to sit here and confess his inadequacies to him, family or not.

"Not enough job security," he deadpanned. Gail laughed. She knew how Cas felt about the subject, and though it was only logical for Frank to ask the question, she didn't blame Cas for not wanting to answer it.

"Anyway," she picked up the thread, "we've gone off the rails again. I was going to tell you about being an Angel," she said to Frank.

"Yeah, what's that like?" Frank asked her. "What's Heaven like?"

Gail and Castiel exchanged glances. "Well, we're not too thrilled with Heaven at the moment," Gail confessed, "but things will be better now that Bobby is back. And as for being an Angel, I honestly don't notice a lot of difference. I guess I have more powers now, or something." She looked at Castiel again. That was another thing they had yet to talk about. Maybe she should type up an agenda, she smiled to herself. "But before you ask, and I know you will, I can still heal, and better and quicker than I could before. So when you go out on the road, keep me on speed dial." She and Frank smiled at each other.

"And I don't eat, or drink, or sleep," Gail continued. Frank opened his mouth, but she knew what he was going to say. "Yesterday was an exception, because it was a special occasion. But on the flip side, I don't have to go to the bathroom, either." She grinned. "So there are perks."

Then Gail frowned. "But there are different types of Angels, just like there are different types of people, and some Angels are not very nice." That was putting it mildly, she thought, thinking of Jason and Xavier. And Metatron.

"Does that have anything to do with what Kevin is doing out there?" Frank asked. He'd been introduced to the young Angels briefly when they'd first arrived, and then Cas had hustled them all into the kitchen so Kevin could get to work.

"Yes," Castiel answered him. "There is a very bad Angel named Metatron out there, and he must be dealt with."

"When you say 'dealt with', do you mean..." Frank started to say, and Dean piped up, "Yeah, we do. That guy's gotta go." Dean had a hate on for a few Angels right now, but Metatron was at the top of the list. He had killed Dean twice, he had killed Sam, he had killed Gail, and just recently, he had executed Cas. They had all survived one way or the other in the end, but Metatron wouldn't hesitate to kill any one of them again, and they couldn't get lucky forever.

"He's a danger to all of us," Castiel said grimly. "He killed many humans once he escaped from Heaven's prison, for no other reason than because he could. Your sister managed to kill him in Dallas, or so we thought." Cas looked at Gail. He had been proud of her that day.

But Frank interrupted. "Gail killed him? My sister?" He looked at Gail, smirking. "You never wanted to even pick up a weapon when we were on the road. What changed?"

"These guys," Gail teased, waving her hand towards Sam and Dean. "They're a bad influence."

Sam grinned. "I guess that's true."

"But seriously," Gail continued, "I realized that with guys like Metatron and Crowley out there, I'd better learn how to defend myself. So these three guys helped train me how to fight. I'm a little rusty, though. Maybe you and I can go to the training room later. I could use a refresher course."

Frank was glad to hear her say that. Even though Gail clearly had some pretty good protection in the form of Castiel and the Winchesters, he still thought it was a good idea.

Gail continued the narrative. "There's a lot more to the Dallas thing, but the important part is that we thought he was dead, so we came back here, only to find out that Crowley had you." Frank looked at Gail, surprised. "How did you find out?" he asked her.

"We heard your prayers," Castiel told him.

"Well, Cas did," Gail amended. "I was still new, so I only got bits and pieces."

Now Frank was really surprised. He remembered praying when Crowley had first locked him up in Hell's dungeon and started injecting him with Demon blood, but he'd given up, thinking no one was listening. "You heard me?"

"Yes," Castiel answered, frowning. "I'm sorry we weren't able to help you then." It made him sad and angry that he hadn't been able to save Frank sooner. Look at all the time he and Gail had missed, when they could have been together and happy, as they were now. And Frank would have been spared from the guilt he now felt at all of the terrible things he had done while in Crowley's service.

And Frank did feel guilty, especially for what he had done when the four of them had come to the den. Had they been trying to rescue him then, or had they gone there to kill him? Who knew? And he didn't ask, because he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer.

"I'm really sorry, you guys," Frank told them all. Had he ever really apologized to them for his actions in the den that day? Maybe he had, but it bore repeating.

"You weren't yourself," Gail said, putting her hand on his arm. "We all know that."

Sam and Dean were nodding. Now that they'd gotten to know Frank, it was hard to reconcile this man with the Demon they'd seen in the den that day. Damn Crowley.

Castiel knew it too, but he looked at Frank coolly. He may be an Angel, but the considerably human part of him distinctly remembered Frank driving the knife into his chest. Apologies were nice, but Frank had killed him. Thank God Gail had been able to revive him by using her combined human and Angel powers.

Now it was Gail's turn to feel bad. After Frank had stabbed Castiel, she had gone crazy with grief and anger at the thing her brother had become, and she had stabbed Frank viciously, over and over again, until Sam had pulled her away. How weird to be sitting here with him now, knowing they both remembered that moment very well. Another elephant in the room.

Frank was looking at her. He'd seen many expressions on his sister's face over the years, and he recognized this one. "Elephant," he said to her. That was all he needed to say. They'd been together for years up until just recently, and circumstances had forced them to be very close during Gail's formative years. She may be an Angel now, and an apparently confident one at that, but she was still the same sister he'd known all her life.

Gail sighed. "Yeah."

Dean looked at them. "What?" he asked.

Gail turned to him and Sam. "Don't you guys have your own verbal shorthand?" she asked Dean.

He thought about that for a minute. "Yeah, I guess we do," he admitted.

Sam smirked at his brother. "That's because monosyllabic grunts are right in Dean's wheelhouse," he said.

"Bite me, Sammy," Dean retorted.

"See?" Gail said happily.

Frank smiled briefly at the exchange, but soon he was frowning again. "You were right to kill me, Gail," he told her. "I couldn't have been allowed to continue the way I was going. I would have killed all of you. Even you, Gail. I'm glad you did it."

Silence for a moment, then Castiel said, "I should have been the one to do it."

Frank turned his eyes to look at Cas. Really? What did he mean by that?

Cas cursed himself. All he'd meant was that Gail should have been spared the agony of having had to kill her own brother. But now Frank was glaring at him again. Why could he not seem to communicate with Gail's brother?

Dean shook his head, trying not to smile. Cas was an acquired taste, especially when he was full-on Angel. Until he and Sam had gotten used to the way Cas talked sometimes, there were many times that they thought Cas was being a dick. Frank was clearly experiencing that feeling now.

"Don't mind him," Dean said to Frank, jerking his head at Cas. "What he means is, he's sorry everybody killed everybody, and let's have a beer and forget about it." He looked at the fridge. He hadn't been intending to drink again so soon after yesterday, but a little hair of the dog might be in order here. Too bad this wasn't Vegas Cas; once he and Frank got a couple of drinks into them, Dean was sure they would have gotten along just fine.

Dean and Cas exchanged glances, maybe thinking the same thing.

"I'm sorry, Frank, I didn't mean it that way," Cas said to Gail's brother. "I just mean that..." He sighed, trying again, "I know how hard it was on Gail to have had to do that."

Gail smiled at him appreciatively. She'd known that's what he had meant, but then she was used to his way of speaking now, too. Frank was not, and she could see the way he was looking at Cas now. Bless Dean for trying to help, but things between Frank and Cas had gone sideways again, and she wanted them to get along. They were both very important to her, and things would be so much easier if they did.

"Don't look at him like that," Gail rebuked Frank. Then she wheeled on Cas. "And, you...do you think you could channel Vegas Cas for just a few minutes and talk to Frank like a human being? He's not a Demon any more, and he's new to this whole world of ours."

Cas thought about that. She had a point. This was all new to Frank, and there was still so much more he had to hear. It would be nice if they were able to get along better, not only for Gail's sake of course, but then by the time they got to the part about Crowley being his Brother, Frank might not want to punch him. Well, not as much, anyway.

Sam and Dean smirked. They had pretty much agreed with Cas, but it was fun for them to see Gail chastise him. And he took it from her, when he wouldn't have taken it from anyone else. Maybe not even them.

Sure enough, Cas took Gail's hand. "You're right, Gail," he said to her. Dean rolled his eyes. Figures.

Frank looked at Cas and his sister. Gail obviously thought the sun and the moon rose with this guy, and so far, Frank wasn't seeing it. But Dean and Sam apparently felt just about the same way, so Frank guessed he had to try to keep an open mind.

"So, what about Vegas?" he asked them. "You guys keep bringing it up." Frank smiled at Gail. "What would Angels be doing in Las Vegas, anyway? I know you and I said we'd like to go there some day, but..."

"But that's just it, we weren't Angels," Gail interrupted. "We were humans." She explained about the gift that God had given them, and the fact that they had elected to use it for their holiday.

Cas smiled. This was his chance to relate to Frank on a human level. "It was a lot of fun," he said to Gail's brother. "We ate, we drank, we gambled, we did pretty much everything humans do there."

Gail looked at him, smiling at the memory. Boy, did they ever. Not that she was going to tell her brother about that part.

But Frank was looking at her suspiciously. He wasn't born yesterday. He sure as hell didn't want to think about her doing that, and especially not with a guy he wasn't even sure he liked. But she was an adult now, and they were all adults here.

"Umm, Gail, you're probably not helping," Sam said dryly. He was looking at Frank's expression, reading it correctly.

Gail looked at Sam, puzzled. Then she looked at Frank, and she saw where he was looking. She'd unconsciously been caressing Cas's thigh as she thought about their private time in Vegas and Cas wasn't complaining, but Frank was getting that dark look again. She stopped what she was doing, but she left her hand on Cas's leg for a moment. Frank was just going to have to get over it.

Cas cleared his throat, avoiding Frank's gaze. He wasn't sure where to look. He'd been enjoying what Gail was doing, thinking back on their nights there too, but that wasn't appropriate behaviour in front of her brother, especially when they'd gotten off to such a rocky start.

He looked at Dean, but there was no help to be had there. Dean was grinning at Cas's obvious discomfort.

"Oh, what are you smiling at?" Gail said to Dean. "We're all adults here."

"Really, Gail? In front of your brother?" Dean retorted, still smirking.

"Shut up, Dean," Gail automatically replied, but she was smiling now, too.

"Aren't you supposed to be Angels now, anyway?" Sam asked them, getting in on the fun. "Not exactly setting a good example for the rest of them, are you?"

Gail stuck her tongue out at him. She didn't have a good retort for that. But maybe she wasn't setting such a bad example, at that. Considering the fact that Angels weren't even allowed to hold hands recently under Xavier's regime, an open demonstration of affection might not be a bad idea. Show them that attitudes had changed. Bobby had said that he was going to update the ancient laws; maybe this was something that she and Castiel should discuss before they went back there. If stuff like this continued to happen, they might not be celibate much longer. Their case was likely special, though. Even God Himself had alluded to this when He'd stopped into Heaven after Castiel's tribunal. And if she could survive a staredown from God, she could certainly take one from her brother.

"Grow up, you guys," she said to Sam and Dean. Then she turned back to Frank. "And stop looking at us like that. We're in love, and we live together. You do the math." Then she looked at Cas, who raised an eyebrow to her. Well, it might be true, she said to him with her eyes. He thought for a moment. Yes, yes it might, his eyes said, and his eyes were twinkling. Funny, it almost seemed like they had changed colour there for a moment. But they were certainly overdue for that conversation, Gail thought.

Frank sighed. "OK, Gail," he said to her. He supposed she was right. He'd just have to get used to it. "OK," he said again. "Point taken." He looked at Cas, and they gave each other a brief nod. Though it was obviously in different ways, they both loved Gail, and they would try, for her sake.

But Sam and Dean exchanged glances, surprised. They weren't aware there was any math to be done on the subject. They didn't generally think about this aspect of their Angel friends' lives much, only when they were teasing them, but what Gail was saying was a little intriguing. Was she just trying to yank her brother's chain, or was there really something going on between those two now?

But Castiel was purposely changing the subject of conversation now, and even though what he was going to say next was very serious, the brothers were almost relieved. That was about enough of that kind of thinking for a while.

"But Las Vegas wasn't all fun and games," Cas said, frowning. "Metatron showed up there, and he killed Gail before we could stop him."

Frank looked at him, shocked. "What?" He put his hand on Gail's arm. "What the hell kind of world do you guys live in?" he asked her. "You kill him, he kills you, but nobody's dead?"

Gail smiled. Yeah, she knew how weird that sounded. "Welcome to our world," she said, shrugging. "And now you're a member of the club, too."

Frank shook his head. Maybe he was going crazy. But Cas and Dean and Sam were all smiling, too. Everybody in this room was a member of that dubious club now, some of them several times over.

"But since I was a human, I just went back to Angel status," Gail continued. Cas squeezed her hand. He would never forget how heartbroken he had felt when he'd thought she was really gone. She looked at him sympathetically. She knew how that felt. Boy, did she know.

"So you can't be killed now because you're an Angel?" Frank asked her, confused. Then what was all this talk about her protecting herself? And had Frank not actually killed Cas?

Cas smiled wryly. Didn't he wish. His vessel would have a few less grey hairs if that were the case. He explained that Angels could not be killed by human weapons, only by Angel blades. "Remind me, I'll ask Bobby when I see him next if he can give me permission to get you one, Frank," he said to Gail's brother. Strictly speaking, it was against the rules to arm a human with an Angel blade, but once Cas explained it was for Frank, he was pretty confident that Bobby would approve the request. If not, maybe he would just liberate one from the wepons room anyway. Metatron, Jason and Aurielle were all still at large, and if any one of them were to find out about Frank and his relationship to Gail, he could be at risk too.

"So everything worked out in the end," Gail continued, "but then when we got back from Vegas, things got really weird in Heaven." She sighed. How were they going to explain this to Frank? But he had to know; she was aware that Jason was still out there too, and once Frank left the protection of the bunker, he had to be aware of what the potential dangers were.

Castiel could see that Gail was having trouble explaining Heaven's politics to Frank. Not that he could blame her. So he picked up the narrative for her, giving Frank a very condensed version of the events that had led up to the tribunal, and why he and Gail had felt like they had to go on the run. Then he told Frank about Jason and the threat he posed, both then and now.

"We still don't know where he is," Castiel said, frowning. "I suspect he's here somewhere on Earth, but I can't sense him. He's probably been warded."

"What's that?" Frank asked.

Gail showed him the tattoo on her stomach as Castiel explained, and Frank was amazed. He knew how much Gail hated needles; this guy Jason must mean business, if she had agreed to get the tattoo.

As Castiel continued the story, something suddenly occurred to Gail. Cas hadn't said anything about Aurielle. Maybe he didn't feel she was as much of a threat as Jason and Metatron were. But Gail wasn't sure she agreed. She had had that vision concerning Castiel and Aurielle and it was still in the back of her mind. She decided to leave the subject alone for the moment, though. They had gotten on quite the roll as far as getting Frank in the loop was concerned, and she didn't want to get sidetracked again. She would regret this decision later.

Castiel also should have thought of Aurielle when he'd tried to track Jason. He knew that they had both gone missing from Heaven at the same time, but he did not believe that they would be together now. As far as he knew, the two Angels barely knew each other, even though they had both been sitting at Xavier's table at the tribunal. Castiel didn't think that Jason would be with Aurielle now; even if the two of them had initially left Heaven together, the Jason that Castiel had known would have thought that a female would be an impediment to him. So Castiel had not tried to sense her, only Jason. And while he realized that Aurielle would have to be located eventually, Castiel also had no idea how dangerously crazy she had become.

So Cas and Gail gave Frank a highly abbreviated account of the tribunal; while wanting to fill him in on all of the major events in his sister's life over the past year, neither of them had the stomach to talk about the tribunal in detail. It was still too fresh, and the memories were still too bitter.

In fact, they wondered if it was really even necessary to tell Frank about the verdicts which had been assessed against them by the board. They were here now, and they were all together; that was the important thing. Did Frank really need to hear about the tragedy of Cas's execution? Cas and Gail looked at each other, asking the question of each other non-verbally.

But Dean piped up, "I'm still not sold on this whole 'closing the Gates of Hell is bad' thing, but we all might have to fight each other to see who gets to kill Metatron."

Sam smiled. "Cas should probably get in the first shot. Payback for the execution."

Frank was puzzled. "Execution? Are we still talking about the tribunal?" he asked.

Well, that ship has sailed now, Gail thought. Thanks, guys. But she looked to Cas. She still didn't think she could talk about his execution without crying.

Cas understood. "Yes, Frank," he confirmed. "I was given the death penalty and executed."

Frank couldn't believe what he was hearing. Yet another death that obviously didn't take? He would have thought that they were all playing an elaborate practical joke on him had it not been for the fact that he himself had died nearly a year ago, and yet, here he was.

Frank sighed. "So how did YOU come back to life?" he asked Cas, trying to resign himself to the way things apparently worked here.

Cas winced inwardly. This was the question he'd been dreading. All four of them were silent for a moment, realizing how Frank was going to react to the answer.

Castiel took a deep breath, then said, "Crowley revived me."

Frank laughed. So Cas did have a sense of humour, after all. "Good one," he said. But then he looked around and realized that none of the others were smiling. "Oh, come on," Frank said.

Gail was biting her lip. "It's true, Frank," she said to him. "I know it's crazy, but it's true."

Frank looked at her, snorting in derision. "Crowley," he said sarcastically. "Crowley. The King of Hell. Our worst enemy. Crowley."

His sister sighed, but she was also getting a little annoyed. She knew it was hard to believe, but: "If you say Crowley one more time, I'm gonna smack you," she said to Frank.

He looked at Cas. "Why would he do that?" Frank asked skeptically.

Castiel answered evasively, in his typical Angel fashion. "He did not say."

Gail shook her head. She knew that Castiel really didn't want to talk about this, but it had to be done. He'd taken one for her earlier, so she would bite the bullet now. It wouldn't be the first time her brother had ever yelled at her, although it would certainly be the first time in quite a while.

"We might as well tell you now, because it's going to come out sooner or later," she said to Frank. "Better you hear it from us than from Crowley. Do you remember your Bible? Remember the story of Cain and Abel? Well, it isn't just a story. It really happened." Gail gestured to Castiel. "Meet Abel. And Crowley was Cain."

Gail had steeled herself for Frank's reaction, and she didn't have long to wait. "Oh, you've gotta be freaking kidding me!" Frank shouted. He looked at Dean and Sam. "She's kidding, right?"

Dean chose that particular moment to get up and get that beer he'd been thinking about, and Sam suddenly became extremely fascinated by a spot on the wall. Cowards, Gail thought.

Fine. "No, Frank, I'm not kidding," Gail told him.

Her brother stood up abruptly. "I'm out," he said, and he left the room.

Gail let out a breath, exasperated. She rose from her chair and glared at Sam and Dean. "Thanks for the backup, guys," she said sarcastically. Cas was frowning, and she touched his cheek with the back of her hand. "I'll be back in a minute," Gail told him. "I have to go kick some ass."

Frank was striding down the hallway, and Gail caught up to him, grabbing his arm. Frank stopped, but he glared at her. "What?" he asked her.

"What do you mean, 'what'?" Gail retorted. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I need some fresh air," Frank said angrily.

"All right, fine," Gail said. She winked them out of the bunker, and suddenly they were standing outside, near the spot where the Winchesters had buried Frank.

Gail looked over at the gravesite and let go of her brother's arm. She was still angry with him, but she felt sympathy for him as well. Imagine how it would feel to be thrust into this weird world of theirs and to have to hear all the things he'd just had to hear.

Frank took a few steps away from his sister, then he wheeled back around. "So you're telling me that Crowley is Cas's brother. And I'm just supposed to be OK with that?"

Gail sighed. "Well, unless you're going to rewrite the Bible, you don't really have a choice, do you?"

Frank was fuming. "You really have changed, haven't you?"

Now Gail was angry again. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Crowley killed our parents, then he killed me and turned me into the worst kind of..." Frank couldn't even finish the sentence, he was so mad.

"I know that, Frank! What's your point?" she asked him.

"So now, because you love that guy, or whatever that is, you're just willing to forget about all that?" Frank yelled.

Gail looked at him, incredulous. "I can't even begin to tell you all the things that are wrong with what you just said," she told him, raising her own voice. "First of all, I haven't forgotten about anything! You talk like we're having him over for Sunday dinner, or something! Yes, he and Cas were once brothers, about a million years ago, apparently. But that's not Cas's fault. I guess I do owe Crowley for bringing him back to me, and I'm not really sure what to do with that, but it's not like..." She let out a breath. What was she trying to say? Did she even know? Yes, she did. "And as far as loving 'that guy', yeah, I do. And if you'd give him half a chance, you'd see why. It's not his fault Crowley was his brother. You can't pick your siblings, you get who you're given." Her lips twitched. "Obviously."

Frank looked down at her. She was really trying that with him? He knew her better than anybody. He guessed she did have a point, though. You couldn't pick your family. "So I guess we're all in the same boat," he retorted. But did she see his lips twitch a little, too?

Gail had a strange sense of deja vu, almost as if she'd had a similar conversation with Frank before. But that wasn't possible. How could she have tried to defend Cas to her brother when she hadn't even know Cas when she and Frank had last been together? She shook her head. Weird.

"Look," she said in a calmer voice, "none of us like it, but that's just the way it is. And it's not like we all hang out, or anything. He's the King of Hell, and we're Angels, and the only reason we're helping on this Gates of Hell thing is because it's for the greater good."

Frank was still frowning. But he was thinking about that. His first impulse had been to wish that the Gates of Hell could be sealed forever. No more Demons, no more Crowley? Sounded good to him. But on the other hand, if the Gates had already been sealed, Frank himself would have been stuck there for eternity. And Cas had been the guy who had brought him out of Hell. Why was he so mad at Cas, anyway? Gail was right; it wasn't Cas's fault that he'd been saddled with the burden of having Crowley for a brother. And Cain had killed his brother way back when, so Frank supposed he and Cas had that in common.

"I wonder if Hallmark makes a card for that," Frank said suddenly. "'Sorry the King of Hell killed you'. We'd have to buy a box."

Gail started to smile. "They're missing a whole market there," she added.

"How about one that says "Sorry your brother really sucks'?" Frank said. He was starting to smile now, too. "You and Cas could both receive that one. I'm sorry. Come here, kiddo."

Frank opened his arms and she came in for a hug. "Thanks, Frank," she said against his chest. "I'm sorry, too. I'm sorry for all the crap you've been through."

Frank looked up to see Cas standing there. He was happy to see the two of them hugging, but he smiled sadly at Frank. "I'm sorry about that too, Frank," he said. "We all are. What happened to you wasn't fair."

Gail's brother frowned. "No. It wasn't. But I've gotta let it go now. I've got another chance now, and you gave it to me. I'm sorry I'm being such an ass," he said to Cas.

Gail released Frank, and she smiled up at him. "There's another card we could all use," she quipped. She turned around to face Castiel. "When did you get here?" she asked him.

"Just a moment ago," he replied. "I wasn't eavesdropping, I just wanted to make sure you both were all right."

Gail walked over to him. "Did you hear the stuff about Hallmark?"

Cas shook his head, puzzled. "No."

"Damn!" Gail joked. "That was some pretty good stuff." She smiled at Frank, who approached them.

Frank put his hand out to Cas. "I'm sorry, Cas. What do you say we try this again? Hi, I'm Frank. I'm mostly a human, but sometimes I'm an ass."

Cas started to smile. He put out his hand. "Hi, I'm Cas. I'm mostly an Angel, but I've been told I can be a dick sometimes."

They shook hands as Gail laughed, happy at the fact that they were trying so hard to get along. Hopefully, it would take, this time. It was hard for her to see them butt heads like they'd been doing.

She kissed them both on the cheek. "Well, how about that? Something we can finally all agree on," she quipped.

Frank and Cas smiled at each other. Then Cas said to him, "Do you mind if I speak to Gail alone for a moment?"

Frank looked at him, then shrugged. "I guess I'll see if Dean wants a drinking companion. I could use a little hair of the dog myself."

Gail put her hand on her brother's arm, smiling at him warmly. "I'll be there in a minute," she told him. "Here, I'll wink you back in."

"Another thing I'll have to get used to," Frank said, rolling his eyes. "But I guess it comes in handy sometimes. OK, go." Then Gail gave him the push, and he was gone.

She turned back to Castiel. He was looking at her with concern. "Are you all right?" he said.

Gail sighed. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just been an adjustment for him. To say the least."

Cas took both of her hands in his. "I'm sorry that Frank and I haven't gotten along better. I'm really going to try, Gail." Though secretly, he thought that Frank could have been trying a little harder, too. But he didn't say this to Gail. Instead, he said, "I realize it's been hard for him to be thrown into this whole situation."

She let go of one of his hands and touched his face. "Thank you for that," she said to him. "And he's really not this much of an ass, not usually. Don't worry, I'll straighten him out. He just hasn't gotten to know you yet. Give him a couple more days and he'll love you, too."

He kissed the palm of her hand. "Frank and I have one very important thing in common. We both love you," he said to her. Gail smiled.

"But maybe we'd better tone down our expressions of affection around him, at least until he has the chance to get to know me better," Cas continued. "I get the feeling he doesn't approve."

Gail's lips twitched. "Do you care?" she asked him.

"Yes," he answered automatically, then he saw the twinkle in her eyes. Gail raised an eyebrow to him. "All right," he amended, and she thought she saw his eyes change into a different colour for a second. She could have sworn they were almost purple. Then they reverted to blue, and he said, "No. Not really."

She smiled. "There. That's the Cas I know." But he wasn't; she just didn't know it yet. "Frank's just going to have to learn to live with it. I'm not toning down anything."

Cas smiled. Good girl, he thought. He didn't want to, either; he'd just thought it was the proper thing to say. "Well, he's not here now, is he?" Cas said softly.

Gail looked at him. Good point, she thought. She moved closer to him, smiling. "You know, if we could just have a break from trying to fight evil forces for a while, we could actually have that conversation we need to have," she said.

"I'm not feeling very talkative right now," he teased her. "I am good at math, though."

She was puzzled for a moment, and then she remembered what she'd said to Frank when he'd caught them in the moment of reminiscing about their imtimate time in Las Vegas.

"I know you are," she said to him. "I've had the distinct pleasure."

Then they were kissing, and Frank, Crowley, and the Gates of Hell were temporarily forgotten.

"'I would not wish any companion in the world but you'," Cas quoted, smiling down at her.

Gail looked at him, surprised. "So you do know some Shakespeare," she said. The remembered that line from The Tempest; she'd read all of Shakespeare's works during those long nights in motel rooms, waiting for Frank to get back from whatever job he was on. She'd thought that was a particularly good one, and she had wished she could hear a man say it to her one day. How strange that Crowley had also quoted from The Tempest in their earlier meeting.

"Too bad. I was hoping you wouldn't know that." Cas smiled again. "I wanted to take credit for it."

Gail gave a slight shrug. "I won't tell if you don't. You've been around longer than Shakespeare, anyway." She took his hand. "I guess we'd better get back, see what the boys are up to."

They winked back into the bunker, and that was when all hell broke loose.

When Metatron had all of the ingredients assembled, he sat down cross-legged in front of the bowl, tossing them all in. He uncorked the vial of Demon blood he'd obtained from the very unwilling donor he'd killed a few minutes ago.

"Watch and learn," Metatron said to Aurielle. She'd been watching, all right. This was the first time she'd seen an actual spell about to be cast, and she was very interested. This spell wasn't from her book, though. It was taken from the Demon Tablet.

Metatron poured the blood into the bowl and then lit a match. "Et voila," he said to Aurielle, tossing the flaming match into the bowl. The contents of the bowl burst into flames, and red smoke billowed upwards. Metatron spoke the incantation, and tendrils of smoke shot out of the open cabin window.

But Jason was frowning. "Very impressive," he said sarcastically. "But what was the point of it?"

Metatron regarded him evenly. Jason was starting to get on his nerves. He had better watch himself. Metatron was an Original, one step removed from God, and Jason was just an ordinary Angel. Remove that ever-present blade from his hand, and he'd be nothing.

"That was the first step towards sealing the Gates of Hell," Metatron said to him. "Permanently."

Jason continued to stare at him, but somewhat surprisingly, it was Aurielle who spoke. "Yes, well, so what?" she said. "How does that get us Castiel and Gail?"

Metatron smiled at her indulgently. She was so single-minded. "Patience, my dear," he said, just a touch annoyed. He'd sooner take it from her than from Jason, though. Unlike Jason, Aurielle had a brain cell or two rattling around in her head. Well, when she wasn't busy being crazy, that was.

Aurielle breathed out heavily, but she let it alone. She was well aware that Metatron was an Original, and she thought Jason would do well to remember that, too. All he would have to do was blink an eye at them and they'd be obliterated. And he had promised to bring her what she wanted. So she'd better keep her mouth shut and trust in his plan, whatever that might be.

And Metatron did have a plan; in fact, he had a couple of them. He was looking forward to the best day ever. Today was the day he was going to destroy Crowley's Kingdom and see his two least favourite Angels tortured, and depending on whether Jason or Aurielle prevailed, at least one of the Angels would die today. He was rooting for Jason; Metatron would love to see him kill both of them. But it might be kind of fun to see Castiel with a dog collar on for a while. Metatron was an eternal being; he could wait. But Metatron had a little surprise of his own for Castiel, if he lived. It was one neither Aurielle nor Gail would enjoy very much, but Metatron would. He really would.

Kevin rushed into the kitchen with the faux Tablet in one hand and his notes in the other. "I figured out the first step," he said excitedly.

They all looked at him. "Good work, Kevin," Castiel told him. "What does it say?"

Kevin pointed at the markings on the stone and quoted, "The Earthbound Army shall be summoned by the blood of one of their own. They shall meet in the back yard of their enemies to await the spilling of the blood."

"Oh, great," Sam quipped, "that doesn't sound ominous at all."

Castiel gave him a thin smile, but his mind was already at work. "The Earthbound Army," he mused aloud. "Considering that the passage is taken from the Demon Tablet, I think we can safely assume that those are the Demons that are currently assigned to Earth."

Made sense, Dean thought. "Summoned by the blood of one of their own," Dean said, picking up the thread. "So Metatron has killed a Demon and he's summoning the Army from Hell. Literally. Well, ain't that grand."

"The back yard of their enemies," Gail piped up. "That could be a lot of places. Churches, cathedrals, the Vatican," she speculated.

"Has anybody looked outside the bunker?" Frank wisecracked.

He'd been going for humour to cut through the dread, but Castiel looked at him sharply. No. It couldn't be possible, could it? There was a large open field area behind the bunker, and many of Hell's worst enemies were sitting right here in this kitchen. It wouldn't surprise him one bit if Frank were on to something.

"The spilling of blood seems fairly self-explanatory," Castiel said dryly. Was Metatron going to call on an Army of Demons to kill them all? But what would that have to do with the closing of the Gates of Hell?

They all looked at each other in horror. Whatever this was, it was not going to be good.

"I'm going to get Bobby," Castiel said. "We'll be right back." He disappeared from the kitchen.

Sam's cell phone rang then, making them jump. He looked at the Display. "Jody?"

Jody had just entered the town limits of Lebanon. She was passing through on her way back from a Sheriffs' conference and had thought she'd drop in to see Sam and Dean, if they were home. They hadn't seen each other since that Demon business in her town, and she had been hoping to see some friendly faces. The conference had been a long and mostly boring sausage-fest, and she had felt like an outsider, even though she had just as much right as the men to be there. Funny how many of her fellow Sheriffs still treated her like a second-class citizen just because she happened to be a woman. And she had seen and done some things that would make their hair curl. Even the bald guys.

She smiled when Sam answered the phone. "Sam!" Jody exclaimed. "Tell me you guys are home. I'm literally in the neighbourhood, just a few blocks away from the bunker."

Sam frowned. He really missed Jody, but she had picked one hell of a time. Then again, maybe it was serendipity. "We're home, Jodes, but we're facing a situation. If you've got time, we could probably use your help," he told her.

Interesting, Jody thought. A "situation". Knowing the boys, that could be anything. But Sam had said that maybe she could help. She hadn't seen any action in quite a while. Sioux Falls had gone back to sleep after the Demons had gone, and Jody had been reduced to writing tickets and intervening in domestic squabbles again. Though Hunting was messy and stressful, she had been missing it. And these particular men didn't care about the size of her boobs, just the caliber of her weapons.

She opened her mouth to tell him she'd be there in a couple of minutes, but she snapped it shut again when she turned the corner and saw them. What looked like hundreds of men, women, and even a few children, walking towards the field behind the bunker. She slowed the car down, and a couple of them walked past. Jody saw with a shock that their eyes were black. Demons! Hundreds of Demons, gathering in Sam and Dean's back yard.

"Sam," she said slowly, "would this situation involve hundreds of Demons gathering behind the bunker? Because that's what I'm seeing right now."

Sam's blood ran cold. So it was true.

"I'll be right there, Sam," Jody said nervously. "If they'll let me through, that is."

But the Demons all ignored her. They just kept marching towards the field, and the ones that were already there were just standing there, not moving, as if waiting for something. Oh, crap. This was not good. This was not good at all.

Castiel was back, with Bobby in tow and carrying an Angel blade for Frank. Bobby hadn't needed much convincing once he'd heard who it was for.

Sam hung up the cell phone and told them what Jody was seeing.

"Balls," Bobby said softly. What were they supposed to do now? Castiel, Dean, Sam, Frank, Gail and himself. And Jody too, he guessed. Seven of them against hundreds of Demons. Not great odds. But there was no way he could ask any of the other Angels to join the fray. Xavier's recent brief reign aside, this was a kinder, gentler Heaven. The Angels there didn't fight, didn't even know how. Castiel was the only survivor of the Angel wars that Bobby knew of besides Jason. Maybe this was something that needed to be addressed in the near future, but there was no time to think about that right now. As God, he had the most power of all of them, and Cas was an Original. God had hinted that Gail had some of the powers of an Original now too, but as of yet, none of them knew exacly what that meant. And Sam and Dean, Frank and Jody were all Hunters with years of Demon-killing experience between them. But still, they'd be vastly outnumbered, from what he was seeing. He'd used his Godly powers to look outside, and Jody had been right. There were hundreds of them, and more were still coming. How could they go out there and engage, and hope to survive?

As Sam was bringing Jody into the now-crowded kitchen, Bobby said to Kevin, "I need you to keep translating, fast. We've got to find out what's going on, so I can figure out what we're supposed to do here."

Kevin hurried back to the library. He quickly filled Becky in on what was going on, and she was so scared she didn't even think about the possible implications of Sam having just walked into the bunker with another woman. Then Kevin bent down to the Tablet and his notes again. Now that he'd cracked the translation, the rest should be easy. Or so he hoped. If not, they were probably all dead.

"I'll be back in a minute," Bobby said to the group. "Nobody do anything until I get back." He was looking at Dean when he said it, of course.

He winked himself back to his office in Heaven and picked up the Hotline.

"What the hell are you trying to pull?" Bobby asked Crowley when he picked up.

"I believe the word you're searching for is 'Hello'," Crowley said dryly. He hadn't forgotten.

"I don't have time to dance, Crowley," Bobby growled. "What's going on at the bunker?"

"What do you mean?" Crowley asked, truly mystified.

"What do you mean, what do I mean?" Bobby snapped angrily. "How about hundreds of Demons in the field behind Sam and Dean's place? How about that?"

Crowley's brow furrowed. Bobby wasn't a game-player, and he sounded angry enough to come through the phone and strangle Crowley with his bare hands.

"I don't know anything about that," he said slowly. And it was true. Crowley didn't know anything about it, nor could he see it now, even though he was trying. He'd never been able to see into the bunker itself under normal circumstances; did this blind spot extend to its back yard? Apparently, it did.

Suddenly, Bobby believed him. Crowley sounded sincerely puzzled. This must be Metatron, screwing around with the Demon Tablet.

Crowley had come to the same conclusion. "I'll be right there," he told Bobby. "I'll wait outside, of course," he said sardonically. "I'll command them to leave. How's Kevin coming on the translation?"

"This Demon gathering was the first part," Bobby said grimly. Cas had filled him in on the discussion they'd had before he got there. Bobby told Crowley what Kevin had translated so far. "Everything but the spilled blood. And there sure as hell ain't gonna be any of that if I have anything to say about it. I've got Kevin working on the next part now, and I told him to hurry."

Crowley was surprised. So Kevin had worked out the first part already, and he hadn't even been subjected to any torture. Hmm. Not how he would have approached it, but he couldn't argue with the result.

"I'll meet you outside the bunker," Bobby said. He wanted to make sure that Crowley was going to do what he said. Just because Bobby believed him didn't mean he trusted him. "But give me a minute. I've got to tell the others."

They hung up, and Crowley snapped his fingers, appearing in the field just outside the bunker.

At the same time, Bobby appeared back in the kitchen. "I called Crowley," he advised his friends. "He's going to order them to stand down."

"How will we know he's done it?" Dean asked him, but Castiel was nodding. He already knew.

"I'm God, Dean. I have my own channel," Bobby told him. "I'll watch from here."

Bobby watched as Crowley stood in front of his subjects.

"I command you to leave here," he said to them.

Nothing. The Demons just stood there. None of them moved, and there was not even an acknowledgement that he had spoken.

Crowley raised his voice. "Leave here," he said again.

No response. They were all staring straight ahead, as if they hadn't even heard him. As if they were waiting for something, or someone.

Crowley was getting angry. Didn't they realize who the boss was here? His eyes flashed red. "I am your King, and I command that you leave here now!" he shouted. Nothing.

Crowley was enraged now. Whether Metatron's hand was in this or not, he was used to being obeyed. He raised his arms to mete out some punishment to the unfortunate couple of souls who happened to be in the front couple of rows. But nothing happened. He tried again. Nothing. Nada. Was it because he was on the bunker's property? Crowley had never been able to use his powers in the bunker itself. All of its protections rendered him powerless, like Castiel and his sigils.

Crowley sighed. "You'd better get out here, Bobby."

A moment later, Bobby joined Crowley outside. He'd seen the King's attempts to order his subjects to leave, and then to blast the hell out of them when they wouldn't go.

"Numbers a little down in the polls?" Bobby said caustically.

Crowley looked at him sourly. If anybody was going to be making the quips around here, it was going to be him. But Crowley was not the slightest bit amused right now. "This is Metatron's doing," he said to Bobby. "He's got them all entranced somehow."

Bobby was scrutinizing the faces of the Demons. They didn't exactly look entranced to him, more like...they were waiting for further instructions. He called Cas to come outside, on Cas's private frequency.

Castiel appeared a moment later. "What do you make of this?" Bobby asked him, frowning.

Cas scanned the Demons' faces, his brow furrowed. It disgusted him to see so many together in the same place, and it scared him a little, too. Crowley obviously wasn't their Master at the moment; if whoever was pulling the puppet strings decided to mobilize them now, they would be done for if there was a way for the Army to storm the bunker.

"They must be waiting for the next instruction from the Tablet," Castiel said.

"Do you think we could hurry young Kevin along a bit?" Crowley asked through his teeth. He was extremely nervous now. What did Metatron have planned next?

Bobby was thinking furiously. "Maybe everybody had better come out here," he said to Cas. "I'll take ideas from anyone right now. If they start to engage, we can just wink everybody back in. And find out how Kevin's coming on the next part."

Cas nodded briefly and disappeared back into the bunker. A couple of minutes later, he was back. He had Sam and Dean by one arm each, and Gail had Jody and Frank. The humans had all armed themselves with holy water and Demon knives, and Cas and Gail had their blades. Cas offered Bobby an Angel blade, but he shook his head. "Thanks anyway, Cas," Bobby said, smiling just a little. "I think I'm good."

Crowley looked at Castiel, then looked at the weapon. Cas smirked. "You're kidding, right?" he said to Crowley. "The last time you were seen with an Angel blade in your hand, you were trying to kill me."

"A Demon one, then," Crowley said irritably.

Cas considered. "Dean?" he called out.

Dean walked over to them, glaring at Crowley. He sighed, reaching into his jacket, and carefully handed Crowley a Demon blade.

"Thanks, Squirrel," Crowley said lightly.

Dean rolled his eyes and went back to join the others.

"How's Kevin coming along?" Bobby asked Cas.

"He says he's almost got it," Cas answered. "Sam's got his cell phone with him, and Kevin's got Dean's. He said he'll call as soon as he has the next passage."

"He'd better be bloody quick about it," Crowley said edgily.

"He's doing the best he can," Castiel growled, but he actually agreed with Crowley. Metatron wasn't going to wait much longer.

As if on cue, Sam's cell phone rang.

"I've got it!" Kevin exclaimed. "But it's not good."

"Hang on, I'm putting you on speaker," Sam told him, motioning for everyone to gather around.

Kevin repeated what he'd said to Sam, and Dean snorted. "Not good? And here I was, thinking it was gonna be about rainbows and puppies."

Bobby waved his hand, shushing Dean. "What does it say, Kevin?" he asked anxiously.

"'Once the blood of an Angel with First Powers has been spilled on the ground, the Gates shall be readied. By a Demon hand the blood must come.'"

Castiel raised his head to look at Crowley. It didn't take a genius to figure out what that meant. "So, it's my blood he needs," Castiel said out loud.

"Or maybe mine," Gail said quietly. Cas and Crowley turned to look at her. "Don't I have 'First Powers' now, too?"

Crowley gaped at her. What was she talking about? He had not been privy to their conversation with God following the tribunal, the one where their Father had told Gail that He had gifted her with some of the powers of an Original.

Castiel didn't bother to enlighten him. It was none of Crowley's business anyway, and they hadn't had the chance yet to figure out exactly what those additional powers were supposed to be.

Crowley saw Castiel and Gail looking at him, and at the knife in his hand. "Well, I'm not going to bloody DO it," he snapped at them. "So you can stop looking at me like that. Why would I want the Gates to be 'readied'? That's the spell to close them!"

OK, he had a point there. "Are you sure that's the exact translation, Kevin?" Cas asked him.

"Sure as it's possible to be," Kevin said. "It's a complex language."

"Well then, what's the problem?" Dean said. "Other than about 400 Demons in our back yard, that is. And I was thinking of putting in a swimming pool."

But it wasn't that simple, of course. "Cas, you've got to get back in the bunker," Sam said, eyeing the Demons. They still hadn't moved, but he was getting really nervous now. "Gail too, just to be on the safe side." He hadn't understood what she'd said when she was talking about having 'First Powers', but clearly, Cas and Crowley did, just from the way they had looked at her. Better safe than sorry.

"I told you, Moose, I'm not going to hurt one hair on their slightly tarnished halos," Crowley said with only a trace of sarcasm. "That would be against my own best interests, now, wouldn't it?"

"What about them?" Sam gestured to the Demons, his voice raising. "They're here for a reason."

They all looked warily at the mass of Demons. If they went on the attack, and everyone was still standing here, there was no way that Angel blood would not be spilled, no matter whose it was.

"Maybe we'd all better go back into the bunker," Bobby said. "Figure out our next step. Maybe see what else Kevin comes up with."

"What about me?" Crowley said. Bobby turned slowly to look at him. "What do you mean, what about you? What do I care? Stay here, go to Rio, go back to your office. Whatever you want."

"Well, I'm not going to stay here," Crowley said nervously. This was supposed to be his Army, but they didn't seem to realize it at the moment, and the group's tension was contagious.

"Then go," Castiel said to him. "You're of no use to us here."

Was it any wonder his Brother set his teeth on edge sometimes? "Who was it, called me?" Crowley snapped. "Oh, that's right, you did. And I came, to help - "

"You came to help yourself," Castiel said, moving closer to Crowley. "All we have is your word that these monsters are not here at your request."

Crowley glared at him. "Well, they're not. I don't know why they're here. But I wish they were under my power right now."

"Do you?" Castiel said coolly. "Well, you can cut me right now if you want to do Metatron's work for him."

Crowley opened his mouth to retort, but he had nothing to say to that. Much as he hated to admit it, Castiel was right. Crowley couldn't afford to risk the second step's completion. They were supposed to be stopping Metatron, not helping him to accelerate the process.

"So that's what a Biblical smackdown looks like," Frank murmured to Gail, and she slapped a hand over her mouth to hold in the laugh.

"Metatron," Crowley fumed. "Just what in the bloody hell is he playing at?"

They'd find out in a minute, Metatron chuckled. He turned to Jason and Aurielle. "Have you got all the ingredients I gave you at the ready?" he asked the female Angel.

She smiled. "Yes. Thank you for your help."

"De nada," Metatron said casually. He'd been picking up a few things for the Demon spell anyway, so Metatron had liberated a few other items from the store for himself, and to give Aurielle what she needed. The clerk's memory had been modified so that he didn't remember Metatron walking out of the occult shop, bags full.

"Get ready," Metatron said to them. "I have a little business to take care of, and then I'll be back with our friends."

Then he winked out of the cabin, the Demon Tablet under his arm.

Just as they had been about to retreat inside, Metatron appeared in front of the group. He waved his hand quickly from one to the other to the other.

"Pleasure seeing you all again," Metatron said happily. He walked up to Jody. "We've never met, Sheriff Mills, but I know who you are," he told her. Then he looked at Frank. "You, I'm not so sure about. I feel like I should know you, but for some reason your name escapes me." And Metatron wasn't playing for once; he honestly had no idea who Frank was. This bothered him.

"Who is he?" Metatron looked at Castiel and Crowley.

"None of your damn business, Metatron," Frank retorted. It didn't take a high IQ to figure out who this guy was. "And what the hell kind of name is that, anyway?"

Metatron approached Frank, but not too closely. No one had made a move his way yet, maybe because he was holding the Tablet, but his lack of knowledge about this human was obsessing him now. He had to find out.

"'A rose by any other name' - " Metatron started to say, but Frank interrupted him, " - would still stink up the place."

Gail couldn't help but laugh. Not the best line her brother had ever had, but she was happy to see him smarting off to Metatron.

But now Metatron was looking at her sharply. Then he looked at Frank again, then back at her. "Ohhh, the brother," he said. It had taken him a while, but Metatron had finally put two and two together. Now that he looked, there was some resemblance there.

Gail's eyes widened. How would Metatron know about Frank? Then again, they'd both been in Hell recently. Or maybe Crowley had mentioned Frank. In any event, he obviously knew now, so Gail said, "Funny, I didn't think we looked that much alike." She looked at Frank. "You obviously got my stunning good looks."

But she'd noticed something strange. She had intended to turn towards Frank as she said it, just to see the look on his face, but her feet wouldn't move.

At the same time, Castiel and Crowley had been intending to blast Metatron while he was distracting himself with Frank and Gail, but they raised their arms in his direction and nothing happened.

"I see you two," Metatron said casually. "Good luck with that. The one who holds the Tablet holds the power." He smiled at them.

"Oh, yeah?" Bobby said. He was God, and he was going to take care of this grinning idiot once and for all.

"Give it your best shot, Bobby," Metatron said to him.

But Bobby couldn't do anything, either. Unbelievable.

Metatron was still smiling. "Demon Tablet," he said. "Tablets are great. Everyone should have one." He looked at Castiel and Crowley. "Well, maybe not everyone. A Tablet in the hands of an Original is a very powerful thing. Powerful enough to suck the power out of any otherworldly being. Kudos to Kevin for getting as far as he did. I admit it's a tough read. I meant it to be that way when I wrote it. Power like this in the wrong hands? Bad news."

By now, everyone had discovered that they were rooted to the spot where they stood. No one could advance on Metatron; the wave of his hand had immobilized them all.

Metatron walked over to the Demons and looked at them, then turned back to the group.

"Pretty great to have an Army like this at your command," he said cheerfully. "I could just snap my fingers and have them all charge." He snapped his fingers and Gail flinched, but the Demons remained immobile. "Gotcha," Metatron smiled.

"I'm not going to do that, though," he continued, "at least, not yet. I have long-term plans, and that would be too quick and messy."

Crowley was seething. He wished this guy would just shut up already. While the King understood the value in a long, drawn-out torture, if he had to listen to Metatron crow for much longer, Crowley was going to have to take the Demon blade he was holding and kill himself with it.

"But you look perturbed, Crowley," Metatron said to him, affecting a concerned expression. "I hate to see you that way, after you were such a fine and hospitable host to me. My back has never felt so limber."

Crowley understood what he was getting at. This stunt of Metatron's was payback for all the torture Crowley had subjected him to in Hell. Now Crowley wished he'd have tortured him more.

Metatron walked up to Castiel then and looked him in the eye. He pulled an Angel blade out of his pocket and twirled it around in the hand that was not holding the Tablet. Castiel had his blade out, but Metatron was just out of reach and Castiel could not move forward.

"The ground wants the blood of an Original Angel," Metatron taunted. "And so do I."

Gail inhaled sharply, then said, "Well then, take mine. You've taken enough of his."

Metatron looked sideways at her. "Still not over that?" he said sarcastically.

She shook with anger. "Never," she told him. Gail knew he was being sarcastic, but she was serious. God, she wished she could move.

"And what would I want with YOUR blood?" he scoffed.

Gail opened her mouth to speak, but Castiel said, "You don't. She's just trying to be noble. We both know it's mine you need." He looked at Gail sharply, trying to convey a non-verbal message. They really weren't sure if she could be included in the category of "First Powers" or not, but there was no way he was going to allow Metatron near her with an Angel blade in his hand. Never again. But in any event, Kevin had told them that the blood needed to be spilled "by a Demon hand". Why should he be worried about Metatron spilling his blood and triggering the spell?

Metatron looked at Castiel. "How sweet," he said. His voice was dripping with sarcasm. "How self-sacrificing. But we've got other plans for you, Romeo and Juliet. It just so happens the deed can be accomplished without either one of you."

He walked back a few paces and, taking the Demon Tablet in his left hand, Metatron paused dramatically and then cut his own arm with the Angel blade. He tilted his arm towards the ground, letting his blood drip down.

"I'm an Original Angel, and I've been a Demon," Metatron told the group smugly. "I can do it all."

Once a few drops of his blood hit the ground, Metatron stepped back, and the ground began to crumble.

Metatron smiled at Bobby. "Look familiar?" He shouted over the sound of the ground opening up.

It did. They all looked on in horror as the pit to Hell opened up at Metatron's feet. When the rumbling stopped, Metatron looked at them and smiled.

"Now comes the tricky part," he said. "We have to send all of our little lost lambs back home before we can seal the Gates. That's what all of our friends are doing here." He indicated the Demons in the field. "Then, when they've all returned to Hell, we'll send the King." He gave a mock bow to Crowley. "Then, I'll read the passage from the Tablet to seal the Gates and Voila! No more Demons, no more Hell."

Dean looked at Cas and gave him a half-shrug. Why were the Angels so insistent that this was a bad thing? Other than the shock of seeing a pit to Hell open up in their own back yard, what Metatron was saying sounded great to him. Even though Metatron was a smarmy little douchebag, shouldn't they be helping him?

But Cas and Bobby were both frowning. He couldn't be allowed to do this. But how were they going to stop him?

Crowley was sweating bullets now. "We've got to do something," he said to Bobby and Castiel. They both looked at him. It was almost funny to see the panicked look on his face. Payback for all the evil crap he had put them through over the years.

"I'm open to suggestions," Bobby said dryly.

Gail was looking up at the sky, where dark clouds were forming. Was this an effect of the Tablet, or was there a storm on the way? And why was she looking up there anyway? Did it really matter?

Then she spotted a large bird circling over the field. It looked like a hawk, or an eagle, maybe; she couldn't tell from this distance. She wished it would swoop down and peck Metatron's eyes out. Let him smile then.

There was a loud boom of thunder, and a fork of lightning streaked across the sky. Startled, Gail threw her hand up towards the sky, as if to protect herself. A gold beam of light shot out from her fingers and enveloped the bird for a moment. Then, shockingly, it flew straight for Metatron's face.

Metatron threw his hands up to defend himself against the hawk, dropping the Demon Tablet in the process. The ground leading to the pit was sloped beside him, and the Tablet slid downwards and disappeared into the pit as Metatron watched helplessly. He stumbled to the edge, but it was too late. The Tablet was lost to him.

As soon as the Demon Tablet fell into the pit of Hell, the ground began to repair itself, and soon the pit was gone and the ground was intact once more.

The moment the ground closed up, the spell was broken, and the Demons came out of their trance. Crowley's paralysis broke, and he ran forward, shouting, "I command you to leave this place!" Most of his subjects vanished immediately to return to their posts, but others either didn't hear him or didn't care, and they rushed forward to attack the humans and the Angels.

A vicious battle ensued between the opposing parties. Crowley joined the fray, still shouting at the remaining Demons to retreat. He killed the few that were the nearest to him and were too slow to respond. Minions who wouldn't follow his orders were useless to him.

The number of Demons that had disobeyed were thinning out now, thanks to the fighting skills of the human Hunters. Bobby's powers were back now that Metatron's spell was broken, and he was using them to vapourize one Demon after another. Castiel was vapourizing them too, and using his blade when they got too close. Gail was holding her own, but she was rusty and she knew it. She didn't have the power to vapourize Demons and fortunately, none of them were armed, but they still fought tenaciously. A female charged Gail and she ran her blade through its chest, but then a male Demon charged her and put its hands around her throat, choking her, and she dropped her blade.

Gail put her hands on the Demon's arms, but he was too strong and her air was being cut off. She kicked out at him in desperation, but his grip remained firm. Her vision started to grow dark. But suddenly, his hands came off her throat and he slid to the ground. Frank was standing there grinning, the Demon's blood dripping off his knife. "You're welcome," he said, then turned around to fight another attacker.

She doubled over, coughing, then dropped to the ground to search for her blade. It was laying under the body of the Demon that had been choking her, the tip just poking out. By the time she was able to roll his body off of it and pick it up, one of the child Demons had threaded through the fray and was approaching her. Gail could see its black eyes, so she knew it was a Demon, but as she raised her blade, she flashed back to her time in Crowley's den and she couldn't do it.

Castiel saw her hesitation and he wanted to rush over and help, but he was being attacked by three Demons at once. He stabbed two and vapourized the other, but by the time he looked her way again, he couldn't see her. Where was she?

Gail was dazed, disoriented. A moment ago she had been on the battlefield at the bunker, then someone had grabbed her from behind, and now she was...where? It appeared to be a cabin of some sort. How had she gotten here?

While the fighting had been going on, Metatron had been avoiding most of it. He did have an Angel blade, but now that the Demon Tablet was gone, he had no control over the Demons any more. He was livid. Why had that damn bird attacked him like that out of the blue? The only one who could have caused it to do that was Bobby, and Metatron had made sure to use the Demon Tablet to block Bobby's ability to call on external forces. So he knew that the gathering storm had to be just a coincidence. When he'd used the incantation from the Tablet to ensure that his enemies could not thwart him, Metatron had also included all First Powers, just to be on the safe side; therefore, neither Castiel nor Crowley would be able to use the special powers possessed as Originals on him. As Metatron had studied at God's feet, he was aware of what most of those powers were. He knew, for instance, that Castiel had the power to change the weather on Earth. But his enemy would not have been able to manufacture the storm due to the blocking spell, nor would Bobby. But it wasn't the storm that had been the problem, it had been the damn bird. Why the hell had it attacked him like that? Another coincidence?

Well, there was nothing he could do about it now; nothing but take his anger out on his two Angel enemies and worry about Crowley later. He decided to move ahead with the other plan. So, with everyone fighting around him, he'd run over to where Gail was. She was preoccupied with the approach of the Demon child and didn't see him coming from the other side. Metatron moved behind Gail and grabbed her arm, winking her to the cabin. He left her there and went back to the battlefield.

He appeared a moment later in the same spot where he had taken Gail. He knew that Castiel would have rushed over there to help her, and he had been right. And there was no time to lose; the battle was winding down. His sudden reappearance took Castiel by surprise, and so Metatron was able to grab Castiel and wink him to the cabin before Castiel could fight back.

By the time Metatron and Castiel appeared in the cabin, Aurielle and Jason had already overpowered Gail, divesting her of her Angel blade. She was tied to a chair and her hands were cuffed behind her back. Jason's handcuffs, the ones he had brought from Heaven. And he'd made sure to bring two sets.

Metatron forced Castiel into the second chair across from Gail's, and Aurielle took Castiel's blade from his hand while Jason cuffed him. Then Jason tied Castiel to the chair, ensuring that the ropes were nice and tight.

Once their enemies were immobilized, Jason turned to Metatron. "How did it go?" Jason asked him. He'd feigned disinterest earlier, but he was curious now.

Metatron frowned at him, but said nothing.

"He blew it," Gail said. She was scared, badly scared, at the situation she and Cas now found themselves in, but she was trying not to show it. "Want to know how I know? A little birdie told me. Actually, a big one."

Metatron advanced on her, gripping the Angel blade he still held tightly in his fist. "What do you know about that?" he snarled.

Crap. She'd used her go-to response in the face of grave danger, but it was about to bite her in the ass at the end of Metatron's blade. "Nothing," she said quickly. "I was just being a smartass." As far as Gail knew, no one had noticed what she'd done, and she still didn't know exactly how she had done it. But she'd better not admit anything right now. She and Cas were helpless, and Metatron looked angry enough to spit fire.

He eyed her suspiciously. Metatron had not bothered to include her in the incantation; she was just an ordinary Angel, with no special powers of note. Metatron had known that Crowley could conjure up any animal he chose, and Castiel could tame any animal with his will. These particular skills had been bestowed on God's Original Sons at the time of Creation. That was why Cain and Abel's parents had had such abundant livestock, and how Abel was able to keep them docile. But as far as Metatron knew, none of the Originals, himself and Lucifer included, had the power to make an animal attack. So he dismissed what Gail said now, and turned his back on her.

"Are you sure you don't want me to gag her?" Jason said, smirking. "I warned you she's got a smart mouth."

"No," Metatron said to him. "We don't want to muffle the screaming, do we?"

Jason's smile widened.

Bobby looked at his human friends. They were all breathing heavily from the exertions of the fight, and covered with the blood of the Demons they had slain. Dozens of vessels lay dead on the ground around them. "Everybody all right?" Bobby asked.

"Where are Cas and Gail?" Sam asked.

They all looked around, but the Angels were nowhere to be seen. All of the Demons that had been there had either disappeared or were lying dead at their feet.

"Metatron's gone, too," Frank said.

Crowley was still there, standing beside Bobby, and Dean walked over to him now. "Where are they?" he barked at Crowley.

"How the hell should I know?" Crowley retorted. "In case you didn't notice, I was busy taking care of your little Demon problem for you."

Bobby looked sideways at him, marvelling at the overstatement. Though he had to admit that no one would have survived if Crowley had not stepped in as quickly as he had, maybe not even Bobby himself. But now the Demon Tablet was in Hell, and would be in Crowley's possession. How worried should he be about that little fact? Bobby had been hoping to take possession of it himself and lock it away in his office for safekeeping.

Crowley saw Bobby looking at him. "What?" he asked Bobby.

"I just want you to remember that we have the copy of the Demon Tablet you gave us, and we have Kevin," Bobby said evenly.

Crowley got the message. He hadn't yet thought about how he could turn having possession of the Demon Tablet to his advantage, but he would think about it, of course. Right now, he was just satisfied knowing that it was out of Metatron's hands.

"You're welcome," he said sarcastically. Crowley supposed he'd never hear a Thank You from any of them, no matter what he might do to help them. Why did that not surprise him? He wondered where the Angels had gone as well, but he had had to sacrifice some of his own tonight and he would need to handpick replacements. That was Priority One for Crowley now that the danger to Hell had passed. But Metatron had disappeared once more. He was worse than a cockroach, that one.

"I suggest you try to find Metatron," Crowley said to Bobby. "Birds of a feather." He smiled, pleased with his own wit. Crowley was thinking of the hawk that had attacked Metatron. The bird had not been his, as he'd been powerless at the time. Had that just been an amazing coincidence? The King of Hell didn't believe in coincidences, especially not as well-timed as that one had been. He'd have to think more about that, too.

With one final smirk, Crowley snapped his fingers and disappeared.

Bobby turned back to the Hunters. "Cas and Gail must be somewhere," he said to them, his brow furrowing. They all looked at each other, then back at him. And they were all thinking the same thing.

"Metatron's got them," Dean said. "The question is, how the hell are we going to find them?"

ACT III - ROMEO AND JULIET

Aurielle looked down at Castiel. She finally had him now, and he couldn't leave. The biggest part of her was ecstatic, but there was a smaller part of her that was upset. He looked shell-shocked, and his clothing was bloodstained from the recent battle. He had his Earthly clothes on now; he'd worn them since before the tribunal began. She hated to see him soiled with Demon blood this way. In the same way that she had wanted to be pristine for him, she needed him to be pristine for her.

Gail could have helped her with that. Another power that God had given Gail was the power to clean up any kind of mess instantly. Sexist though it may be, God had thought she'd appreciate that one. But she didn't know about this power yet, just as she hadn't known she apparently had the ability to get animals to go on the attack. It seemed that God was just going to let her uncover her additional powers a little at a time, and probably just as accidentally. Such was their Father.

Aurielle went to the sink and filled a bowl with water, then brought it back to where Castiel sat, along with a washcloth. She drew up a chair and sat beside him, dipping the washcloth in the bowl she had set on her lap, and she began to gently wipe the blood from Castiel's face. With little choice in the matter, he submitted to her ministrations, but his eyes were flashing. She was touching his face again, and it disgusted him.

Jason was smiling at Castiel's expression. Then he looked at Aurielle. "Maybe you could come over here and do this one next," he said to her, indicating Gail with his blade. "I want to make sure any blood I see is hers."

Aurielle didn't look at him. She was drinking in the sight of her Castiel, so near, and revelling in being able to touch him. She didn't care that his eyes were flashing; she'd always thought that they were beautiful. "If you want her clean, do it yourself," she snapped at Jason. Aurielle wished that it was just her and Castiel here, alone together. Jason was trying to ruin this for her. If it weren't for the fact that she was afraid of Metatron's powers, Aurielle would love to be doing something other than just wash Castiel's face. But she also wanted to make Gail suffer as Aurielle herself had suffered all this time, watching Castiel and Gail holding hands and kissing. Not to mention all the other things she had imagined them doing. It was Gail's turn to burn with jealousy.

After she'd washed the blood off of Castiel, Aurielle stood to take the bowl back to the kitchen nook, then she paused. She leaned down and kissed him softly on the forehead. Castiel jerked his head to the side, growling, "Don't do that." But Aurielle was unperturbed. He'd feel differently soon.

Gail was doing the slow burn. She knew she should be more worried about the mortal danger they might face at Metatron and Jason's hands, but did she really need to be subjected to this, too?

Aurielle looked at her, smiling blandly, which made Gail angrier. "Sorry, but you're being replaced," Aurielle said nastily, then added, "Maybe you can go back to Crowley. You belong with him anyway, after all the things you've done."

"Replaced? You're delusional," Castiel said sharply. "You will not talk to her like that."

Aurielle shrugged and took the bowl back to the kitchen. Jason was still smiling. He'd wanted to get right to the torture, but Castiel's anger and discomfort was serving to be a good appetizer. He laughed. "I don't think there's much you can do about it at the moment," he said to Castiel. "And she's right. After what we heard at the tribunal, it would seem that your girlfriend is well-suited for the Demon lifestyle."

Castiel's eyes blazed. His fingers curled as he strained against the handcuffs. He knew it was useless, but he was beyond angry now. He looked over at Metatron, who was sitting casually in an armchair, smirking at him.

"You had better hope I don't get free," Castiel fumed.

"That's the plan," Metatron said cheerfully. But then, a strange thing happened; Castiel's eyes flashed, and suddenly, they were purple. Metatron felt a moment of fear. What the hell had that been?

Bobby was pacing the floor, his human friends were sitting around the table looking grim, and Kevin was studying his notes, a worried look on his face. He'd been continuing the translation while they'd been outside fighting the Demons, and the additional information he'd gleaned so far wasn't making him feel any better. But the priority was Cas and Gail right now. That conversation could wait.

Becky was looking at all of their faces, and she was worried, too. She loved Castiel and Gail. Hadn't they been through enough without being kidnapped by Metatron? But Bobby was God; how come he couldn't do anything to help them?

Dean was thinking along the same lines. "Can't you just use that Angel radar or whatever you guys have to find them?" he asked Bobby, frustrated.

Bobby stopped pacing and looked at them. Didn't Dean think he would have already thought of that? "They're warded, remember?" he pointed out.

Right. Dean had forgotten.

"What about Metatron?" Sam asked.

Bobby frowned. "I can't sense him, either. I don't know why," he snapped, as if someone had asked him the question. "Maybe he's some kind of damn hybrid now. Or maybe it's because of that 'Original' thing, I don't know." Bobby was angry that God hadn't bothered to share any information on the Originals with Bobby before leaving on His retirement. Not even when He'd come back just recently for a brief visit and announced that He'd given Gail some Original powers as well. Apparently, they'd come through Bobby's own hand, yet he knew nothing about it. How the hell was he supposed to operate effectively when he was being kept in the dark like this?

As much as Bobby hated to think of it, maybe another chat with Crowley was in order. At the moment, he was the only Original that Bobby had access to. And Crowley had better have some answers for him.

Castiel was eyeing Jason warily. Jason was hovering over Gail with the blade, but so far he hadn't even raised it in her direction. As a form of torture, it was highly effective. The dread was building in Castiel, and the fact that Jason hadn't touched her yet was almost worse.

Aurielle had moved over to the dining room table. She'd gotten another bowl from the kitchen cupboard and was putting items into it, one by one, slowly and carefully, glancing back at the book with each step. This would be the first spell she'd ever attempted, and she wanted to get it right. After some deliberation, she'd decided to try one of the other spells out on Gail first. Sort of a dry run. She only had enough supplies for the one attempt at the love spell, and she didn't want to blow it. She needed to try a lesser spell out first, to build her confidence enough to try the important one.

Gail had a better sightline, so Castiel caught her eye and raised an eyebrow, jerking his head slightly in Aurielle's direction. What's she doing there? he asked Gail. She shrugged. She really couldn't tell, either. It looked like Aurielle was putting together a recipe or something, but that wouldn't make any sense; none of the five that were here in the cabin ate. Then her brow furrowed. Gail had never seen a spell being prepared in real life, but she had seen depictions on TV and in the movies. The vision she'd had of Aurielle standing over Castiel, painting symbols on his chest, was now ringing alarm bells in her mind. Should she voice her suspicions out loud? What harm could it do now? Look at the position they were in.

"There's something I didn't tell you," she told Castiel ruefully. "I had a vision a while back. Aurielle was painting symbols on you. It looked like she was preparing to cast a spell on you."

Castiel looked at her sharply. Aurielle lifted her head from what she was doing and regarded Gail. "Well, you would know, wouldn't you?" Aurielle said sarcastically, then bent to her work again.

Castiel let out a breath, frustrated. He remembered Aurielle's visit to his prison cell, and her allegations about Gail's supposedly having put a spell on him. And who else had been talking about spells recently?

"Has she got a book?" Castiel asked Gail.

"Looks like it," Gail replied.

Then their eyes widened. A spell book? Didn't that sound familiar?

"Where did you get that book, Aurielle?" Gail asked her.

"Shut up," Aurielle snapped, not looking up.

"You know, I do believe she's not very fond of me," Gail said lightly. That go-to response again.

Castiel almost smiled, and he silently thanked her for the attempt to lighten the mood. "Where did you get the book, Aurielle?" Castiel tried, echoing Gail's question.

"I took it from Xavier's office," Aurielle told him happily, looking warmly at Castiel. He was speaking to her now, and he had used her name. Pity she didn't have a tape recorder. She'd record him saying her name and just play it, over and over.

So she had Rowena's spell book, the one that Bobby had sat on for years and never told them about. He and Bobby were going to have another conversation about that, if Castiel and Gail ever got out of here alive. A very serious conversation.

Crap, Gail thought. Holy crap. What was she cooking up over there? Maybe Jason's blade would be better. And what was Jason waiting for, anyway?

Chuck was seeing this entire scene unfold now. He was sitting at the front desk in the library staring straight ahead, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. No! Three of Cas and Gail's worst enemies, all with axes to grind. He could see Aurielle cooking up whatever dark magic she had planned, and Chuck was sick with dread. The guilt was eating him alive. He could have killed any one of those three at any point in time, just like he should have killed Xavier. Didn't God want Chuck to be a nice guy now? Then why was he allowing Chuck to see such horrible things? It was almost as if his nose was being rubbed in the fact that he had elected not to pick up a weapon and commit murder. Was he supposed to have killed them all?

He sent a message to Bobby on Angel Radio, telling the reigning God what he was seeing. And even though it caused him pain, Chuck kept watching. Maybe he could see something that could give him a clue as to their location. He had to try.

Bobby listened in horror, then turned to his friends. How was he going to tell them this?

"Dean, Sam, come to the kitchen with me for a second," Bobby said, then strode down the hall, leaving them to follow.

"What's up, Bobby?" Sam asked him. He'd seen the look on Bobby's face, and they knew each other too well.

"They're not only with Metatron, but Jason and Aurielle are there, too," Bobby said to the brothers. "And they're tied up and handcuffed."

"Oh, mother of holy lovin' hell," Dean breathed. How did Cas and Gail keep getting into these messes? He knew that Cas had made a lot of enemies over the years, but this was getting ridiculous.

"Did Chuck see where they were?" Sam asked. But he supposed he already knew the answer to that. If Bobby knew where their friends were, they'd be mobilizing now.

"All he could see is that it seems to be some kind of a cabin," Bobby replied.

Sam and Dean looked at each other in frustration. Not much to go on.

Bobby swallowed. "There's something else, boys." He hesitated, anticipating the reaction this news bulletin was going to get. "It looks like Aurielle is working on some kind of a spell, and she's using a spell book." When Chuck had told him that, Bobby's heart had dropped into his stomach. It didn't take a genius to connect the dots.

"Bobby, no," Sam said softly. He remembered his foray into the world of witchcraft, and it had ended badly. Of course.

Dean had gotten there, too. "What the hell, Bobby?" He raised his voice. "Are you telling us she's using the spell book you told us about? Rowena's spell book?"

Bobby's guts were churning. "She must be. It's too coincidental. I'm going back up to Heaven to check my desk, but it likely went missing while I was away. Xavier must have found it and given it to Aurielle for some reason." That wasn't exactly the way it had happened, but it was close. But really, did it matter? The damage was being done now, and whatever was going to happen to Cas and Gail would be all Bobby's fault.

Crowley was back at his desk in Hell, turning the Demon Tablet over and over in his hands. That had been a close one. Now that he was alone, he could acknowledge how scared he had been. Frightening to think of how much havoc one slab of concrete could wreak in the wrong hands.

But in the right hands? Crowley wondered what other things the Tablet had to reveal. The only problem was, he couldn't read it. He'd never been able to decipher the language; that was why he'd needed to kidnap and torture Kevin in the first place, so that Kevin could provide him with the translation. Funny that Crowley could speak any language, any dialect that had ever been in existence since Creation fluently, yet he could not understand a word of what he was saying. This ability had been given to him by his Father as one of the rewards of being an Original. It had enabled him to travel anywhere in the world to conduct his deals, but it was also an example of his Father's capricious ways and strange sense of humour. Yes, the deals got done, but Crowley had no idea what the bloody hell he was saying when he was speaking in a different language. Yeah. Hilarious.

He'd love to be able to decipher the rest of the Tablet, but he had no access to Kevin now, and no desire to piss off Bobby by trying to acquire the young Prophet. Besides, what was he going to threaten Kevin with this time? Kevin and his mother were already dead, and they were Angels now. Yes, Crowley knew about Linda, too. As was Kevin's little girlfriend Becky, so there was no leverage to be had there, either. Crowley smirked to himself. With one touch, he could increase Becky's IQ to that of a Mensa member or more; that was another of his special powers. If he thought that would be enough of an incentive, he could offer it to Kevin. But Crowley also knew one other tidbit of gossip that very few knew so far: Becky was totally besotted with Sam Winchester. Ah, young hearts. How very tragic.

Dean was enraged. "Dammit, Bobby! You should have brought that book to us years ago!" he yelled.

"I didn't know what it was, years ago," Bobby said, "but you're right, I should have brought it here the moment I opened it and saw what it was."

Frank walked into the kitchen then, Jody right behind him. "What's all the yelling about in here?" Frank asked. Bobby frowned at him, but Frank stood his ground. "Hey, if this has anything to do with Gail, I have a right to know. She's my sister."

Bobby sighed. He supposed Frank was right. And look where keeping secrets from each other had gotten them. Frank was new to their circle, but he was part of the extended family now, and Jody went way back wih him and Sam and Dean. So he took a deep breath and then filled them in, not only on what was happening now, but on what had happened back then.

Jody was a little surprised, but maybe not as much as she should have been. She'd known Bobby as a human man for years, and she'd known he was lonely at times. They'd almost gone out on a date once, but then she had gotten called in for duty at the last minute. In retrospect, she'd been glad. Jody liked Bobby too much as a friend to mess with their relationship the way it was. Obviously, his craving for female companionship had led him to make some dubious choices, but hadn't most people had a relationship they now regretted at some point in their adult lives? She'd even had a date with Crowley once, although to be fair, she hadn't known who he was at the time.

But steam was practically coming out of Frank's ears. What was it with these guys and Crowley, anyway? They claimed to be on his and Gail's side, but every time he turned around, one of them was confessing an affiliation with the King of Hell. Cas was Crowley's brother, and now Bobby, who was currently God, was telling them that he had been a couple of steps removed from being what amounted to Crowley's stepfather? And Frank himself had seen Crowley more in the past couple of days than he'd seen him since Frank was demoted in rank from Knight of Hell to Joe Demon. Maybe Gail was right about them not exactly having Sunday dinner together, but their group sure seemed to spend a lot of time together with Crowley, regardless of context. What the hell had Frank signed on for here?

But Bobby was God, and he was the Boss of the Good Guys, wasn't he? Supposedly. And Frank had a sister to rescue. So he would stick around until Gail was found and brought back. Hopefully in one piece.

Frank looked at Bobby, appraising him coolly. "So, what about this Prophet guy?" Frank asked him. "Can he see anything that might give us a clue how to find her? Them," he hastily amended.

Dean looked at Frank sharply. That better have been just a slip of the tongue. He knew that Frank and Cas had issues, but those were unimportant now. He liked Frank, but Frank needed to decide if he was in the family, or out. Cas and Gail certainly were not going to be out, not if he or Sam or Bobby had anything to say about it.

"It doesn't always work like that, Frank," Bobby explained to him. "It's not an exact science. It's like psychics; they see what they see, or they don't see it."

Thanks for the non-answer, Frank thought. Bobby frowned again. He saw the way that Frank was looking at him. He'd known his story about having a relationship with the mother of the King of Hell wasn't going to go over big with Gail's brother, especially since Rowena's spell book was apparently being used now as some kind of a weapon against her and Cas. But they couldn't focus on the past; they had to focus on what they could do to help their friends right now.

Bobby quickly walked back into the library area. "Kevin, put down the Tablet, please," he said. "I want you to focus on Cas and Gail. Also Metatron, Jason, or Aurielle. Anything you can see on what any of them are doing now or where they are." He spoke gently, not wanting to put any more pressure on young Kevin. Contrary to what Crowley seemed to believe, Bobby still thought the kind approach was the way to go.

But Kevin understood the urgency behind the gentle tone. "Can I go somewhere private?" he asked Bobby. "I usually do my best work when I'm alone." He looked apologetically at Becky, but she waved him off. Everyone in the bunker knew what the stakes were, Becky included.

Then Kevin remembered the brief vision he'd had about Aurielle a while back, and he told them about it, not wanting to hold anything back. But the vision had been brief, and had only involved Aurielle, an old book, and a fireplace.

"Tell us something we don't already know," Frank said sarcastically, and they all looked at him.

"He's doing the best that he can, Frank," Jody rebuked him. "I know she's your sister, but we're all worried here, both about her, and about Cas. Stop acting like a douche."

Sam and Dean tried to suppress their grins. They couldn't have said it better themselves.

Frank realized she was right. Now he knew how Cas had felt when Gail had admonished him. He would follow Cas's example. Frank's jury was still out on the guy, but Cas was no fool. "You're right, Jody," he said. "I'm sorry, Kevin. I'm sorry, everybody. I'm just worried about them both. I just got my sister back. I don't want to lose her."

They understood. Dean touched Frank's shoulder. "Let's go get a cup of coffee," he said to Gail's brother. No more booze for now. They had to remain alert for when their friends needed them. And he hoped they would be called upon soon. Nothing like beginning the afternoon by kicking some Demon ass and then ending it by kicking some well-deserved Angel ass. That would suit Dean just fine.

Jason was growing impatient. Initially, he'd been kind of curious to see what Aurielle was going to do to the Angels, but this was taking too long.

He walked over to her at the table. "What's the holdup?" he asked her.

Aurielle glared up at Jason. What was his problem? "I'm new at this," she told him. "I want to make sure I get it right."

Jason rolled his eyes. "What do I care about your little magic spells? You're wasting time."

Aurielle continued to glare at him. "What do you care? We had an agreement! And what's your hurry? We're Angels, aren't we? We've got an eternity to play with them."

Metatron was smiling. He was enjoying watching the two of them argue, and he was silently cheering Aurielle on. The longer he spent with Jason, the less and less respect Metatron had for him. But Aurielle was sneaky, sly, and she gave as good as she got. A woman after his own heart.

"I'll give you five more minutes," Jason said to Aurielle.

"And then what?" she retorted.

"And then the cutting starts," Jason said, looking at Gail.

Castiel's blood ran cold, but he was studying the two of them. Jason and Aurielle obviously did not like each other very much, and yet they had thrown in with each other. He was wondering if their dislike of each other could be used against them in some way. He also saw Metatron watching them and smiling, presumably amused at their discord. What was his role in all of this? Castiel knew Metatron very well by now, knew he was a master manipulator with a Plan B and a Plan C always up his sleeve. Was this just a sport to him, or did he have an endgame here?

Aurielle bent to the book again, but she had now lost her place. This was a simpler spell than the one she'd had planned for Castiel, but she now couldn't remember where she'd left off. Which of the ingredients was she supposed to add next?

"You made me lose my place," she said to Jason angrily.

"Good," Jason said. "I'm done waiting. You can play your little games on your own time and quit wasting mine." He turned his back on her and started walking towards Gail, raising his blade.

"You think this is a game to me?!" Aurielle screamed. She rose from her chair, inadvertently bumping the table, knocking the bowl to the floor. "This is my life!" She looked down and saw the contents of the bowl all over the floor. "Now look what you made me do!" She grabbed her Angel blade off the floor where it had fallen when she'd upended the table and she rushed Jason, but he blocked her attack easily and twisted her arm, making her drop the blade.

"Try that again, and you'll get what she gets," Jason said calmly, indicating Gail. Then he let go of Aurielle's arm and pushed her away. The woman was crazy, and Jason was fed up with her.

Aurielle glared at Jason. She'd had enough of him, too. Maybe she should just take Castiel away from here, and away from Jason. In fact, maybe she should take both Castiel and Gail. She could practice her spells in peace and quiet, somewhere away from that blade-twirling Neanderthal.

Metatron walked over to where Aurielle stood and put his hand on her arm. She almost jerked her arm away, but then she remembered who he was and what he could do.

"Why don't we go for a walk, my dear?" Metatron said to Aurielle, smiling at her gently. "Some nice fresh air."

Aurielle glanced at him, then allowed him to lead her outside the cabin. Once outside, she turned to Metatron. "You see how he treats me," she appealed to him.

"He's a beast," Metatron said, affecting his most sympathetic expression. He reached up, touching his hand to her forehead. "You should kill him. Cast your spell, let him torture Gail for a few minutes, then, when his back is turned, drive your blade into his back." Then he stepped away from Aurielle, quickly removing his hand. "He really should treat you with more respect," Metatron said, as if finishing the first part of their conversation. "I'll talk to him. In the meantime, I think you should start making up your love spell. And I'll help you. Don't worry, Aurielle. He will be yours."

Aurielle smiled. He wa being so kind.

A minute or two later, they came back into the cabin. "Better?" Jason said sardonically, but Aurielle ignored him. She picked her blade up off the floor and Jason tensed for a moment, but she continued walking to the table, which she righted, and then she began to clean up the mess on the floor.

Metatron looked at Jason. "Outside. Now," he said. Jason raised an eyebrow. Who the hell did this guy think he was, ordering Jason around like that?

He found out. Metatron extended his arm and threw Jason against the wall, then, when Jason got to his feet, Metatron did it again, then again. The third time, Jason was slower to get to his feet and a little bit of the insolence seemed to be gone.

"Sigils have never worked on me," Metatron told Jason, smiling. "Unlike our poor Brother over there." He nodded towards Castiel, who was trying not to smile at the sight of Jason having been thrown around like a rag doll. Even if it was Metatron who had been doing the throwing, the sight had still been enjoyable.

"Fancy a walk?" Metatron said to Jason.

Once the men were outside, Castiel turned his head towards Aurielle, who had now gotten another bowl and was starting to take the ingredients Metatron had brought her out of the bags and was laying them on the table.

"I'm sorry Jason has been treating you so badly," Castiel said to Aurielle. She stopped what she was doing and looked up at him, surprised.

"You don't deserve to be treated that way," Castiel continued softly.

Aurielle's heart swelled. He cared about her feelings! She soaked up his gaze and his sympathy for another moment or two, then turned back to what she was doing. Her movements were more enthusiastic now, more confident. As soon as Metatron came back, she'd enlist his help as he'd promised, and the potion would be ready for Castiel to drink in no time. Now that she knew he cared about her, it shouldn't be too difficult for him to fall in love with her.

Castiel risked a look at Gail. She gave him a brief smile. She understood what he was doing. If they could foster the seeds of discord between Jason and Aurielle, maybe their captors would make a mistake. It might be the only chance they had to get out of here alive.

Metatron had put his hand on Jason's forehead as soon as they'd gotten outside. Subtle manipulation wasn't going to work on this guy. "You'll wait until Aurielle casts her spell on Castiel. Once it works and Gail has seen, you will take your blade and stab Aurielle in the chest with it," Metatron said to Jason. Then he removed his hand and moved away quickly, as if he'd been walking beside Jason the whole time.

He turned back to Jason, as if continuing a conversation they'd been having. "I happen to agree with you," Metatron said to him. "I think Gail could do with a little torture. She's been entirely too quiet."

Jason started to smile. Now that was more like it.

"I'll help Aurielle with her little potion," Metatron offered magnanimously. "Keep her calm while you do what you need to do."

Jason nodded. Sounded good to him.

Metatron continued to smile. This was going to be fun. And when Jason and Aurielle had killed each other, he would take over. He'd been looking forward to some fun and games, but if those two thought they were going to have the privilege of killing Castiel and Gail, they were wrong. Metatron owed both Angels, and after he'd had his entertainment, he was going to sit back and watch the real fireworks. He had a long-term plan in place, and both Castiel and Gail were going to suffer for years to come. Metatron had gotten some very special ingredients at the occult shop, and he was looking forward to seeing what they could do.

The four humans were sitting around the kitchen table drinking coffee, waiting for something to happen. The tension was thick in the room, and their frustration was growing.

To pass the time, they'd been swapping stories about Hunting, and Frank and Jody were getting better acquainted. Now that she'd talked to him for a while, Jody thought he was OK. He'd just been worried sick about Gail. Truthfully, even though she didn't know Cas and Gail that well, Jody was worried sick about them, too. She knew that they were very dear to Sam and Dean, and the mens' tension was contagious. They were all used to taking action, but there was nothing they could do in this situation except maybe wait for one of the Prophets to come up with a clue, or for Bobby to come up with some other Angel mojo.

Kevin walked into the kitchen then, and he was agitated. "I've put in a call to Bobby," he told them, "and I've asked him to bring Chuck down. I want to compare notes."

"Have you got something, Kevin?" Sam asked him.

"I may have it narrowed down," Kevin said, and Frank frowned, but said nothing. "I want to find out what Chuck's got."

Metatron followed Jason back into the cabin. He gave Jason a subtle nod as he walked over to the table where Aurielle was sitting, waiting for him. She had drawn up another chair for Metatron and as he sat down beside her, Metatron raised his arms as if preparing to conduct an orchestra.

"A little spell-making music, if you please, Jason," Metatron said, smiling.

Jason raised the blade over Gail, and as Metatron dropped his arms, Jason slashed Gail for the first time. She bit her lip to keep from crying out.

"Oh, come one. You can do better than that," Metatron admonished. It wasn't clear if he was talking to Jason, or to Gail.

But Jason could. He began to cut Gail on the arms, the legs, and the shoulders, tiny cuts, but the pain mounted, and she began to whimper, not being able to help herself. She was trying to stay stoic for Castiel, who was looking at her with anguish, and the pain of every cut she received was reflected in his eyes.

Metatron was assembling the ingredients in the bowl as Aurielle read them aloud from the book, and he was surreptitiously adding a few of his own, all while humming a merry tune. Aurielle was smiling, and in-between the reading of the list, she was looking up at Gail's face. Tears were streaming down Gail's cheeks now, and she began to cry out as Jason's cuts continued. He was warming to his task now, and he began to cut deeper. He was careful to avoid any major arteries, though. Jason had had years of practice, and he knew just how far he could go to inflict maximum pain without killing his victim.

Tears were streaming down Castiel's face too, and he was shouting curses at Jason, trying to get him to stop any way he could think of. "Cut me, Jason! It's me you really want to hurt!" he was yelling.

Jason stopped what he was doing and smiled at Castiel. "You're right," he said. "And that's exactly what I'm doing."

He turned back to Gail and slashed her a few more times, then Metatron said, "That's enough."

Jason looked at him, eyes narrowed. He had just been getting started.

"Don't make me have to tell you twice," Metatron said quietly, and Jason stood down. He wasn't exactly afraid of Metatron, he told himself, but he needed a break anyway. His blade arm was getting sore.

Sam was at his laptop, clicking away, as Chuck and Kevin stood over him. They were describing the cabin and the surrounding area as they'd seen it, and Sam was trying to narrow down the possibilities however he could. But it was frustrating. There wasn't that much to go on.

Dean brought Sam another cup of coffee and leaned over his shoulder. "How's it going, Sammy? Found them yet?" His light tone betrayed how he really felt to Sam, who knew him very well. Dean was beyond scared now. The longer they had them, the more deadly the situation was going to become. The Prophets had told them that Jason had begun to torture Gail, and that Metatron was egging him on. Frank was pacing the floor, anguished, and Jody was looking at him sadly, wishing there was something she could say to him or do for him. Assure Frank that everything would work out all right. But really, how the hell did she know if things were going to work out all right?

Meanwhile, Bobby was up in Heaven, talking to Crowley on the Hotline.

Once he had come back up to transport Chuck to the bunker, Bobby had checked his bottom desk drawer just to make sure. He'd seen with no particular surprise that Rowena' spell book was indeed gone. So, his chickens had come home to roost at last. Bobby didn't know what he would do if anything happened to Cas and Gail because of his past relationship with Rowena. He'd told himself at the time that it was OK, but hadn't he known all along that it was going to rise up and bite him in the ass someday? What harm could a book do, he'd asked himself. Well, that damn book was about to wreck everything.

So Bobby had picked up the phone to call Crowley. He didn't know what else to do at this point. Crowley had a knack for knowing things that no one else seemed to kn, not even Bobby. They had just helped him with Metatron; now he was gonna help them, whether he liked it or not.

"Bobby! So soon? To what do I owe the pleasure?" Crowley said when he picked up. As if he didn't damn well know.

Bobby frowned. "You know why I'm calling, Crowley. Cas and Gail have been taken hostage, and we need to find them."

"So? Find them. What are you bothering me for?" Crowley said lightly.

Bobby gripped the phone receiver tight in his fist. "Listen, Crowley. We helped you with that Demon Tablet thing. Now you're gonna help us."

Crowley was getting angry now. Castiel could have told Bobby this was not the way to deal with his Brother. No one ordered the King around. Anything he did, he did because he wanted to. Apparently, these goody-two-shoes Angels thought that he and his powers were at their beck and call.

"So, I guess bringing Castiel back from the Netherworld and restoring your sanity wasn't helpful enough for you?" Crowley retorted. "And I have yet to hear a Thank You from any one of you for that."

Bobby mentally counted to ten. He didn't have the time nor the patience to deal with a pouty King of Hell right now. "And I don't remember hearing an I'm Sorry from you for locking me up with Lucifer in the first place! Or for helping Xavier to kill Cas."

Crowley was still mad, but he figured that was fair enough, in a way. Not that he was going to tell Bobby that, of course. But it just so happened that he knew exactly where the Angels were. He had been sitting here thinking about the events of the day and he had realized a few things. Actually, Crowley believed he had it all figured out now. Though how much of it he wanted to share with Bobby remained in question. A little respect might go a long way.

"If you need my help, why don't you try asking nicely for a change?" Crowley said to Bobby.

Bobby rolled his eyes, but his pulse quickened. Did Crowley know something that could help them? If there was even a chance, Bobby had to suck it up. He owned a big part of what was happening to Cas and Gail right now. He sighed, then said, "Would you please help us, Crowley?"

Crowley smiled. "See how easy that was?"

Bobby sighed again. God, give him patience. He said nothing, because anything he could think of to say at this point would just piss Crowley off more.

"All right, I'll help you," Crowley said after a moment. "I suppose you did give me a little assistance today. Though Metatron's butterfingers turned out to be the deciding factor."

But Crowley was sure he had that figured out now, too. He'd been wondering why Gail had thought her blood might work for the Demon Tablet spell. There had been too much going on to work out the puzzle at the time, but now that Crowley had had the chance to think about it, he thought he knew. God had gone and given her a little prezzie or two, maybe as a reward for having to put up with Castiel for eternity. Crowley remembered the vision he'd had of Gail in the Garden, pleading with him, when he'd been Cain, standing over his brother's dead body. He'd dismissed it as imaginary at the time, but now Crowley wasn't so sure. Had that vision been trying to tell him something? Had their Father made Gail an Original now, too? God's mind worked in mysterious ways, and He sometimes employed pretzel logic, but this move of His, if it had occurred, might actually make sense. The four Originals left were Castiel, Crowley, Lucifer and Metatron. Three were on the side of evil, only one on the side of good. Maybe God had felt that it was time to balance the scales a bit.

And if one were to accept the premise that Gail had now been designated as an Original, or at least had some of the powers of one, then what? Crowley did not believe that that hawk attacking Metatron had been just a coincidence. True, he himself had not conjured the hawk. Sometimes, a cigar was just a cigar, and the hawk had obviously just happened to be there. But the way it had suddenly just swooped down like that, going straight for Metatron's eyes with a single purpose? No way. Crowley was sure that Metatron had used the Demon Tablet to negate Bobby's powers, and Castiel's, and his own, and to immobilize the humans. But Metatron was a notorious misogynist, and the other Originals knew it. Crowley could just bet that Metatron had discounted Gail again, just as he had in Dallas. And if he had not bothered to include her in his spell, could she not have used one of her recently endowed Original powers to cause the hawk to attack Metatron?

If that was the case, Crowley owed Gail a debt. It was this attack which had made Metatron lose the Tablet, saving Hell in the process. And while he was not thrilled with the idea of having another Original on the side of good, Crowley was intrigued by the idea. Too bad she hadn't been one when he'd had control of her briefly nearly a year ago; imagine what he could have done with that.

But that ship had sailed, and Crowley would leave it alone. He'd grudgingly decided to accept his loss of her and Frank, and their Father had advised that He had brought Gail into their circle to be Castiel's mate, so Crowley had no choice but to accept that, too. But that didn't mean he couldn't screw around with them or their friends from time to time. He supposed he would end up helping them, if for no other reason than to pay Gail back for the debt he owed her. But he'd let them twist on the vine a bit longer. He was the King of Hell, not Saint Crowley.

"I'll meet you at the crossroads in half an hour," Crowley said to Bobby.

"Half an hour?" Bobby exclaimed. If that son of a bitch knew something, why didn't he tell Bobby right now? Did the Angels even have half an hour?

"Yes, half an hour," Crowley confirmed. "I'm just finishing up interviewing replacements for all the minions your people killed today. Take it or leave it." He hung up the phone.

There was no interviewing being done, of course. Crowley just wanted to watch Castiel twist and writhe a bit longer before riding in on his black horse and saving the day. And there had better be a Thank You this time.

Things were silent now in the cabin, almost eerily so. The only sounds were the dripping of blood on the floor under Gail's chair, and the sounds of Aurielle mixing the potion she had just concocted into the bowl.

Jason had been sitting in the armchair resting, trying to slow down his heavy breathing. He'd been so excited when he'd been torturing Gail, and seeing her blood dripping on the floor was proving to have a calming effect on him. Castiel was staring Jason down, and his old compatriot's eyes were the brightest blue he had ever seen them, with flecks of purple. Strange. Jason had seen Castiel angry many times, but he had never seen them that colour before. Castiel was so angry he had gone nuclear, Jason thought with amusement. Aurielle had better be careful if she hoped to get near him. Thank God for sigils, or none of them would stand a chance.

Jason grinned at Castiel. "Is there something you want to say to me, Brother?" he taunted.

Suddenly, Castiel's eyes turned a bright purple. Jason was startled. He'd definitely never seen that before.

"I will kill you," Castiel said quietly, "but I will take my time doing it."

Jason laughed, but inexplicably, those eyes and that tone were making him nervous. Castiel was at their mercy, but for a moment it was feeling like the other way around.

Gail saw Castiel's eyes too, and she was astonished. What was this, now? She thought she'd seen just about every emotion he had, but this was new. As for what he was saying, she had no problem with it. Mercy was not the answer for guys like Jason. Perhaps it was her pain talking, but she wouldn't mind seeing him take his turn in this chair, hurting like she was now. Did that make her a bad Angel? Definitely. Did she care? Not one bit. Angels, she thought derisively. What did that even mean any more? Look at the three that were holding them captive right now. They were all supposedly Angels too, weren't they? And so had Xavier and his bunch been. She tried to think of the good Angels they knew: Bobby, Chuck, Kevin, Ethan, Becky...OK, there were some. Not to mention Sam and Dean, and Frank and Jody. So they did have friends, and there were good beings in their lives. But no one was going to help them now. They would have to try to figure out a way to help themselves.

Castiel's calm stare was unsettling Jason, so Jason rose and walked up to Gail's chair and looked down at her, turning his back on Castiel.

"What?" Gail said to Jason. God, was he going to start in on her again?

But surprisingly, he walked around begind her chair and unlocked her handcuffs, then began to untie her. What the hell?

Metatron looked at them curiously, as Aurielle was pouring her potion into a cup. But Metatron did nothing. He was waiting to find out what Jason was doing.

Gail was freed from her bonds now, but she was eyeing Jason warily. She thought about trying to attack him, but her arms were like spaghetti after having been cuffed behind her for so long. And besides, what good would it do? She could see Metatron looking at them. Even if by some miracle she was able to temporarily defeat Jason, Metatron would just knock her into next week.

Suddenly, Jason's hands were on her body. What the hell did he think he was doing? "If guys touch me there, they generally have to buy me dinner first," Gail quipped nervously. But then she realized; he was healing her.

Castiel had been about to burst a blood vessel when he'd seen Jason put his hands on Gail's body, but he now realized that Jason was actually healing her wounds. Why would he do that?

Metatron was wondering that himself, and Aurielle had stopped what she was doing to glare at Jason.

"What are you doing, Jason?" Aurielle asked him quietly. She'd been happy to see Gail's suffering, and now the idiot was making her whole again.

When Jason was finished, he stood back from Gail, smiling at her. "Just wanted a blank canvas to work with," he said mildly.

Then Castiel realized. Jason was just healing her so he could start torturing her again. That's what he would have done in the old days. And that was what he was going to do to Jason once he got free, Castiel vowed grimly. Again and again and again. And no one was going to stop him, not even Bobby. Let him try.

The potion was ready. Metatron and Aurielle rose from the table, and Metatron walked back to sit in the armchair to watch the show.

Aurielle went to Castiel. "Here, drink this," she said to him, putting the cup to his lips. He glared up at her. She had to be kidding.

Gail was healed now, but her muscles were starting to cramp up from the tension in her body. Jason had retied her to her chair, but he had not re-cuffed her and her arms were on the arms of the chair now.

"Here, allow me," Jason said sarcastically, and he walked around behind Castiel's chair and grabbed him by the hair, forcing his head back. "Pour it down his throat," Jason said to Aurielle. If Metatron was going to allow this foolishness, Jason just wanted it done as quickly as possible.

Aurielle poured half of the cup into Castiel's mouth. He was trying to struggle, but Jason was holding his head steady now, and most of the potion went in. Aurielle gave Jason a nod and he let go of Castiel's head. She peered in to look closely at Castiel's face. How long did it take to work? The book hadn't said.

Castiel spat the potion he'd been holding in his mouth into Aurielle's face. "You need to stop this, now," he growled at her. "'These violent delights have violent ends'."

Aurielle straightened up, using her hands to wipe the potion from her face. She should be angry, but how could she be angry at Castiel when he was quoting Shakespeare to her? Yes, it was a threat, but if he knew that line from Romeo and Juliet, he'd know others. Perhaps they could read it together once this was all over. "'Educated men are so impressive!'" she quoted back to him.

Metatron was delighted. They were quoting Shakespeare to each other after just a few drops? He didn't know how much of the potion Castiel had swallowed, but this was getting interesting now. He'd wondered what his additional ingredients would do to Castiel; with all of his supposed confidence, Metatron had actually had very little experience casting spells. He'd just wanted to shut Aurielle up at the time and help her produce some kind of liquid she could pour down Castiel's throat so his post-hypnotic suggestions would kick in and the fireworks would start between her and Jason, so Metatron had just tossed in a few random ingredients he thought might make Castiel's life a lot more interesting should he survive. But now, Metatron was sort of hoping the love potion would work. Maybe he could hear some more Shakespeare, at the very least. Contrary to what Gail had thought, Metatron thought he had given Castiel plenty of Shakespeare, along with many other great literary works. But it obviously hadn't taken; that was why he had felt the need to do it again today. Castiel had been the real cretin, in Metatron's opinion. He had been a soldier, a bloodthirsty automaton, until Sam and Dean had gotten a hold of him. The humans had made him more emotional, and Metatron had tried to give him the knowledge. Yet his Brother had squandered it, choosing the violent ways of the Winchesters and the earthy Angel Gail to spend his existence with. Aurielle was crazy, but she was a delicate flower, and she was clearly well-educated. She and Castiel would be a better match. Maybe if the potion worked, Metatron would let Castiel live a bit longer, see if Aurielle could be a positive influence on him. Metatron did not actually hate Castiel, per se, he just thought he'd been wasting all the talents God had given him. Maybe with Gail out of the picture and Aurielle to help manipulate Castiel into the right way of thinking, they could team up to help Metatron get his revenge against Crowley. It wouldn't be the first time Metatron had used Castiel as his weapon, but perhaps they could learn to get along if Castiel would show some signs of intellectual growth.

But Aurielle didn't think Castiel had ingested enough of the potion, if he had ingested any. So she looked at Jason and said, "Again." He frowned, but grabbed Castiel's head once more and held it tighter this time. Aurielle poured the rest of the potion into Castiel's mouth and Jason forced his jaw shut this time. Castiel struggled as best he could, trying to hold the liquid in his mouth, but though much of it dribbled down his chin, he inadvertently swallowed some.

Jason let go and Aurielle continued to stare at Castiel's face. She held her breath, looking for any sort of change in his angry expression.

"How long is it supposed to take?" she asked Metatron, but not talking her eyes off Castiel.

"Should take only a couple of minutes," he told her cheerfully. But really, what the hell did he know? They'd just have to see what happened.

Then, suddenly, Castiel began to smile. Aurielle still held the cup in her hand, and Castiel was picturing her as Gail, holding the cup that had held his cure on the first night they'd met. It was one of his best memories. He now realized that he'd loved her from the first moment he'd seen her, and Gail's action had been the proof that she cared about him too.

Aurielle sat in Castiel's lap, straddling him, and she leaned forward to kiss him on the mouth. He didn't respond, but he didn't shrink back, either. His mind was confused. He was seeing this woman as Gail now, and she was kissing him. But it felt like the time that Gail had come into his room at the bunker. She'd been Crowley's then, and she had kissed Castiel in an effort to seduce him. But he had sent her away; even though he had ached to reciprocate, that had not been Gail who had come into his room that night. And it did not feel like her now.

Aurielle looked at Jason. "Free his hands," she ordered him.

Jason smirked. Yeah, right.

"Do it," Metatron said, interested. He really wanted to see what would happen. He wasn't worried; he was at full power, and he could step in if something went wrong.

Jason scowled, but he wasn't worried, either. He had his blade at the ready. If Castiel gave him any reason at all, any excuse really, Jason would just kill him and end this farce. So he unlocked the cuffs and Aurielle used her blade to gently cut the ropes that bound Castiel to the chair.

Once he was set free, Aurielle laid her blade down on the floor and put her arms around him. "I love you," she said to him. "I always have, and I always will. If you would just love me, I would do anything for you."

Oh God, Gail did not want to see this. She had a really bad feeling about this. She'd seen Cas struggle, but now he had stopped, and he was smiling at Aurielle, a faraway look in his eyes. Had he swallowed any of the potion?

Castiel's hands moved, and then they were on Aurielle's waist. His touch was hesitant, tentative, but her heart soared. She kissed him again, and then he was kissing her back! His hands tightened around her waist. Now he was picturing himself and Gail in Las Vegas. She was kissing him, telling Cas that she loved him, and he was the happiest he had ever been in his existence. "I love you, too," he whispered.

Gail's stomach hurt now, and tears formed in her eyes. This hurt worse than any wound Jason could inflict on her. In fact, he might as well kill her right now, spare her from having to watch any more of this.

"I love you, Gail," Castiel said. He spoke clearly, loudly now. He threw Aurielle to the floor, grabbed Jason's blade out of his hand, and drove it into Aurielle's chest, pinning her to the floor. His eyes raised to Gail. "YOU," he said, looking her in the eyes.

Gail's face lit up, and she broke into a wide smile. Oh, thank God. Thank you, Father. The largest and most sensible part of her knew that it was ridiculous to be worried about Aurielle's love spell working on Castiel when they were in mortal danger. But a tiny part of her, the part that was only for herself, had been screaming in protest. If Gail was going to die here, she wanted to die knowing that Castiel loved her, not Aurielle.

But, what were they going to do now? Castiel was trying to pull the blade out of Aurielle's body, but he'd driven it in so viciously that it was stuck in the floor. Gail struggled against the ropes, but Jason had bound her too tight and it was useless. Castiel had no weapon now, and she was of no help to him.

Castiel looked at Metatron then. Jason, he could fight; Metatron and his powers were the real threat here. He charged Metatron, but Metatron extended his arms and flung Castiel against the wall. Jason bent down to Aurielle's body, trying to wedge his blade out.

"Out of the way, you idiot!" Metatron yelled at Jason. He was in Metatron's sightline, and sure enough, Castiel had gotten up and was advancing again. But he didn't come for Metatron this time; instead, he dropped to the floor and rolled to where Aurielle had put down her own blade when she'd wrapped her arms around him. He picked it up and grabbed Jason, holding Jason in front of his body. Let Metatron blast away; the force would be weakened by the presence of Jason between them. But Metatron hesitated a moment, and Castiel took the opportunity to slash the ropes that tied Gail to her chair. He hoped he hadn't cut her too, but he didn't have the time for finesse. They were in a life-or-death situation here, and Castiel had to stay on the move.

Metatron was angry now. He took his own blade out of his jacket and started towards Castiel, but Gail threw herself at him in desperation and knocked Metatron off-balance. He hadn't even been looking at her, so she had taken him by surprise. But he recovered his balance, and advanced on Gail, blade raised. Castiel used the opportunity of the distraction that Gail had provided to give Jason a mighty shove, and Metatron was knocked to the ground as Jason fell on top of him, and he lost his blade.

As Jason picked himself up off the floor, Castiel dove past him and stabbed Metatron in the chest several times. A blinding pink glow escaped from Metatron's body as he died.

Then there was only Jason, and as Castiel stood up to face him, Jason realized that he was in serious trouble. He could not just wink out of the cabin due to the sigils, and he was unarmed.

Castiel smiled, but it was unlike any smile that Gail had ever seen on him before, and she wasn't sure she wanted to see it on him now. It was a nasty, ugly smile, more suited to the likes of Jason and Metatron than her Castiel.

"Give him the blade, Gail." Castiel had seen her pick up Metatron's blade as soon as he'd dropped it, and she was holding it now.

She looked at Castiel, but he was staring at Jason, and his eyes were that strange purple colour again. Gail knew why he wanted her to give Jason the blade. Cas was spoiling for a fight. She had stopped him from killing Jason in his prison cell that day, and they had both subsequently regretted it. But Castiel had a blade now, and Jason didn't. Why would he want to arm their enemy? Why would she?

"Give it to him, Gail," Castiel barked, and she continued to stare at him. She saw Jason grin out of the corner of her eye. This was the Castiel he remembered from the old days, and if she would just give Jason the damn blade, he would be happy to fight this Castiel.

Jason walked over to Gail and looked down at her. She should just stab him with it now. No one would blame her. He was an evil, sadistic bastard, and he had cut her with his own blade many times over. But she still hesitated for some reason. She couldn't seem to make herself do it, but she couldn't just hand him the blade, either. Regardless of how ferocious Castiel was looking right now, how could she just hand his opponent a blade that could potentially kill him?

Jason didn't give her the choice. He grabbed her by the arm and twisted it painfully, forcing the blade out of her hand. He caught it before it dropped to the floor and pushed Gail to the ground, holding the knife over her. She looked at him in terror, but Jason turned his back on her. He'd just been messing with her. It was Castiel who he really wanted to fight, and if Jason came out the victor, he would be able to play with her all he wanted.

Castiel had been waiting patiently for Jason to obtain the blade. He'd seen Gail's hesitation, and he'd had a bad moment when Jason had forced the blade out of her hand and wielded it over her. What was he doing? He'd wanted to make Jason hurt, as much as he had hurt the both of them, but Castiel had wanted to play with him first. He felt like he was owed that, after everything that Jason had put them through. But in his thirst for Jason's blood, Castiel had almost gotten Gail killed. What the hell was wrong with him?

But when Jason faced him with the blade in his hand, Gail was temporarily forgotten.

"Come on, then," Castiel said to Jason, smiling. "You want to kill me, don't you? Let's see if you can."

Crowley had kept his appointment with Bobby at the crossroads, but by then, it was almost too late. He had underestimated his Brother, it seemed. Crowley had seen Aurielle pour the potion down Castiel's throat just before he left Hell, and by the time Crowley was standing in front of Bobby, Castiel had already killed Aurielle and Metatron, and he had Jason on the ropes. Crowley knew Castiel to be a fierce warrior, but the speed with which he had turned the tables on his captors had astonished Crowley. Then he'd seen Castiel's purple eyes, and Crowley had understood.

"I don't have time to screw around, Crowley," Bobby said abruptly as soon as Crowley appeared. "You're gonna tell me where they are right now, or we're gonna have a serious problem."

Crowley was amused. "Not only will I tell you, I think I might have to go with you," he said to Bobby, "so I can see it for myself."

Bobby had reached the end of his patience. He raised his hand, about to attempt his very first smiting, but Crowley put up both of his own hands and hastily added, "The Angels are just fine. In fact, our Castiel has been a very efficent killing machine. Just like the good old days. He's killed Aurielle and Metatron already, and is on the verge of dispatching Jason as we speak. You won't need to bring any Hunters, only body bags."

Bobby looked at him, puzzled. How the hell could Crowley know that, when the Prophets hadn't been able to provide them with any updated information?

"Originals can always sense each other," Crowley explained to Bobby. "I was able to hone in on Metatron's signal, and with Castiel there, that made two of them." Actually, if Crowley's suspicions were correct, there had been three Originals there, factoring in Gail's presence. But he wasn't yet prepared to take that as a fact, not until he'd looked into it further. But Bobby was frowning again, so Crowley added, "I know, Castiel is warded. But only to ordinary Angels. To Originals, no."

If Crowley was telling the truth, it sounded like Bobby had nothing to worry about now. If. But Bobby was fed up. Once everything had calmed down, he was going to have a chat with Castiel about this "Originals" business. The amount of stuff Bobby knew about the subject could just about fill a thimble, and he was getting tired of being in the dark about it.

"So you're telling me that Cas and Gail are fine, and that Aurielle and Metatron are dead?" Bobby asked Crowley in amazement.

Crowley was smiling again. "That's right. And Castiel's got his blade to Jason's throat now. I don't suppose, if I tell you exactly where to collect the Angels, that I can tag along? I want to see Metatron's dead body for myself. Maybe even shake Castiel's hand."

Bobby regarded Crowley curiously. He'd never seen the King of Hell like this before. He looked happy enough to dance a jig. And while that happiness usually came at Heaven's expense, if he was right and Metatron was truly dead, he couldn't blame Crowley for his glee. Could it be a trick? Sure, it could. But Bobby had four Hunters in his corner, and his own prodigious powers. He figured he could chance it.

"OK, Crowley," Bobby said. "Meet me outside the bunker."

Castiel had Jason on the floor, and his blade was indeed at Jason's throat. This had been almost too easy. Jason had fought well, but Castiel's rage had been focused this time, and he had anticipated every move that Jason made even before Jason had made it.

Jason knew this was the end. He had lost his blade in the fight, and there was no way Castiel was going to show him any mercy. Why the hell should he? Jason certainly wouldn't have, if things had been the other way around.

"What are you waiting for?" Jason said to Castiel. "Do it."

But Castiel was regarding him, head tilted to the side, almost as if Jason was a particularly interesting species of insect that had never been seen before. "What do you think, Gail?" he asked casually. "Should I?"

Gail had been sitting at the table where Aurielle had mixed her potion earlier, watching the fight but staying well out of the way. She could see that Castiel had a lot of rage and aggression to get out of his system, and after everything they had been through courtesy of Jason, she couldn't blame him. The fight had been fierce but brief, and now he was calmly asking her if he should kill Jason. But his eyes were still more purple than blue, and he still didn't sound like himself. What did he want her to say here? Was he looking for her support, or did he expect her to oppose him?

"I don't think I will," Castiel continued, almost happily. "Too quick." He hauled Jason to his feet and shoved him into the chair that Gail had been tied up in. "Gail, would you be a dear and pick up those handcuffs for me, please?" Castiel asked her.

Gail rose from the table and walked over to where the handcuffs lay on the floor, then handed them to Castiel. He was still staring at Jason. Had he even made eye contact with her since he'd killed Aurielle? Gail found she couldn't remember. And the tone of his voice, though gentle enough, was making her nervous for some reason. He didn't even sound like himself. What the hell had been in that potion of Aurielle's? And why were his eyes purple?

Crowley knew why Castiel's eyes were purple, and he couldn't wait to see it in person.

Once he and Bobby had returned to the bunker, Crowley had waited outside while Bobby went in to tell Sam, Dean, Frank and Jody that Crowley knew where Cas and Gail were, that they were all right, and that they were going to take them to the cabin now.

"Crowley! Again?" Frank had shouted. Once more, Bobby could understand how the guy felt, but he was going to have to get on board or get the hell out. Bobby had had a long, stress-filled day, and he was in no mood. He walked up to Frank and looked him in the eye. "Do you want to be in on this, or don't you?" he asked Frank, frowning. "You can just stay here, if you want. Up to you."

But there was no way Frank could stay here, not when Gail might need his help, and they both knew it.

"How do we know this isn't a trap?" Jody asked.

A reasonable question, so Bobby asked her reasonably. "We don't," he told her. "But for what it's worth, I don't think it is. But if anybody doesn't want to come, they can just stay here. I promise you that no one will think less of you if that's what you choose. You've all risked your lives plenty today."

But no one could stay behind, of course. Bobby turned to Chuck, Kevin and Becky. "We'll be back as soon as we can," he told them.

"Can I come, too?" Chuck said, but Bobby shook his head.

"No, Chuck, you'd better not," Bobby told him. "Just in case."

Chuck understood what Bobby was saying to him, but he felt like crap. If everything turned out all right tonight, he was going to ask Cas for some weapons training. That way, if the situation ever came up again where one of his friends was in danger, he could be of some real use.

The four humans and Bobby walked outside, where Crowley was eagerly awaiting them.

"All right, Crowley, where are we going?" Bobby said wearily. The King of Hell gave him the location, and Bobby grabbed Frank and Jody by one arm each while Crowley did the same with Sam and Dean.

Castiel had Jason tied to the chair with his hands cuffed behind his back, just as he and Gail had been restrained just a short while ago. And, just like Jason had been doing to Gail, Castiel was cutting Jason. Cut after cut, slash after slash. Jason was bleeding copiously now, and he was gasping in pain, but Castiel was still not satisfied. Jason would not break, and he would not beg for his life, and Castiel wanted both.

Jason was in severe pain by now, and he knew that Castiel would be willing to keep doing this for eternity. He was determined not to break, but something had to give. Jason looked at Gail, who was sitting in the chair across from them now. She was watching Castiel pace back and forth, inflicting cut after cut on Jason, and Castiel was smiling coldly. Jason could see the worried look on Gail's face.

"Allow me to introduce you to the real Castiel," Jason said to her. "This is your boyfriend's true nature."

"Shut up," Castiel said, backhanding Jason. He stabbed Jason in one hand, then the other. Just as Jason had done to Dean the night that he and Gail had given themselves up to Jason to face the tribunal.

Jason hissed in pain, but he continued to look at Gail. "Take a long look at him," he said to her. "The one you knew is gone." He turned his head and spat blood on the floor.

Castiel put one hand around Jason's throat and held the tip of the Angel blade to one of Jason's eyes. "You will not speak to her," he said quietly. "You will not even look at her. One way or the other."

After a moment, Castiel let go of Jason and turned around, finally looking Gail in the eye. "He is a liar," Castiel said to her. Then he turned back to Jason and slashed him a few more times.

Gail was starting to feel sick. She'd thought that seeing Jason tortured was what she'd wanted, but Castiel was scaring her now. His expression was so cold, and his torture was so methodical. Was this really what he had been like before? Or was Castiel just so angry with Jason that he'd regressed? And what did Jason mean when he'd said that the Castiel she knew was gone?

Then the front door of the cabin burst open, and in came Dean, with Sam, Bobby, Frank and Jody right behind him. And bringing up the rear was Crowley. Gail couldn't believe it. What were they all doing here now, and why was the King of Hell with them?

Frank and Sam rushed up to her, asking if she was OK, trying to hug her, but she squirmed out of their attempted embraces. She was fine, it was Castiel who wasn't fine. Gail had seen Crowley walk straight up to Castiel, and she had to see, she had to hear.

"Good job," Crowley said to Castiel, looking around the room and then down at Jason. "Especially on him. I couldn't have done better myself."

"I was just getting started," Castiel said to Crowley. "I presume it was you who brought them here. I wish you'd waited a bit longer."

Dean put his hand on Cas's shoulder then, intending to ask his friend if he was all right, but Cas looked at him with the purple eyes and Dean took a step back, startled.

"What do you want, Dean?" Castiel asked coldly.

"I - I just wanted to see if you were OK," Dean stammered. What the hell was wrong with Cas? Why did he look like that? Dean looked at the bodies in the room, then at Jason, then back at Cas. He'd normally be cheering for his friend at this point, but like Gail, Dean didn't recognize Cas at the moment. He had crossed over from badass to...what?

But Crowley was smiling at Castiel. "I guess I overdid it when I gave you the breath of life," Crowley said to him. "I guess I'd better take some of it back before Gail divorces you. Unless you prefer him this way?" he said to her, raising an eyebrow.

Gail was horror-stricken. She was beginning to understand now. "No," she breathed.

Crowley sighed. "Just as I suspected. But I'm not going to take it all; just enough so that you can stand him again. But not all. You'll thank me later," he said sarcastically. Then he put his hand on Castiel's forehead and after a moment, red smoke began to issue from Castiel's mouth. Crowley left his hand there until Castiel's eyes turned back to their normal blue. But when Crowley removed his hand, he could still see a bit of Demon in Castiel's eyes. There. Now his Brother would be more or less back to the way he was before, just not as insufferably holy. And if a scene like Crowley had observed here were to occur again, Castiel would be more than equal to the task without that pesky conscience getting in the way.

Castiel blinked a couple of times, then turned around to look at Gail, and she was relieved to see that his eyes were back to their normal blue. But was he himself again?

Cas turned to Dean and handed him the Angel blade. "Here, take this before I change my mind," he said to Dean. "Sorry I scared you," Cas said, smirking.

Dean looked at Cas suspiciously. He didn't know exactly what had just happened between Cas and Crowley, but Dean wasn't blind, and he wasn't stupid.

"Are you OK, Cas?" he asked his friend cautiously.

Cas blinked again. "Yes, I'm fine, Dean. I'm fine," he said, clapping Dean on the shoulder. His smile had become genuine again, and Dean let out the breath he hadn't even been aware he was holding.

Cas turned to Bobby then. "You'd better take him away," he said, indicating Jason. "I don't trust myself to be in the same room with him."

Bobby sent a call to Ethan on Angel Radio, then he waved his hand over Jason, sending him to Heaven's prison. They could heal him up there. Or not. Bobby found he didn't really care at the moment. Bobby was also staring at Cas, wondering if he really was OK. He'd put two and two together. When Crowley had brought Castiel back to life, he'd obviously put more than just a little Demon in him, too. Bobby had had the dubious privilege of seeing Crowley extremely angry in the past, and when Crowley got that mad, his eyes glowed red. And when Castiel was angry, which Bobby had also had the dubious pleasure of seeing, his eyes flashed bright blue. And pretty much everybody knew that when you mixed red and blue together, you got purple. That was why Cas's eyes had been that colour. Hopefully, Crowley had siphoned enough Demon out of Cas, though, or they were going to have a problem.

Bobby felt a little better when he saw Cas approach Gail and fall to his knees in front of her. "I'm so sorry, Gail," Cas said, taking her hands in his. "He could have killed you."

She was studying his face. He looked like himself again, but Gail still thought she could detect a subtle difference. She looked up at Crowley, who was still smiling. "What did you do to him?" she asked Crowley, her eyes narrowing.

Crowley stopped smiling. "Improved him," he said shortly. "If I hadn't, you wouldn't be alive right now. He did what needed to be done, and I gave him the extra juice to do it."

"Please forgive me," Castiel was saying to her, squeezing her hands. "Please, Gail."

She looked back at Cas then, and though she was still leery, Gail couldn't stand it any more. They could talk about it later. They'd been through enough today, and she couldn't leave Cas hanging like this.

"I forgive you, Cas," she told him. He smiled, and she touched his face briefly. But her hand felt sticky from the blood he had on his face and his hands, and Gail took it away again. She didn't want to touch him when he had so much blood on him.

Still, Aurielle and especially Metatron, were dead, and Jason was now in prison. That was a good day, right? So why did she still feel so nauseous? She'd seen plenty of blood in the past year, and had bled plenty herself. So why was the sight of all that blood on him making her sick now?

Cas laid his head in her lap and she stroked his hair. She reminded herself that he'd had a rough day too, to say the least. This was her Cas now, and he needed her comfort.

But Frank was staring down at them, and he was frowning. It had been bad enough to be led here by Crowley, let alone having to witness whatever the hell it was that had happened between him and Cas. Frank had seen a lot of death and blood in his time, but the guy who had his head in Gail's lap right now made Frank nervous. He was supposed to be an Angel, but from what Frank had seen, Cas was a bloodthirsty killer, and he and Crowley had some kind of strange symbiotic relationship. What had Gail gotten herself into?

Sam saw Frank's expression, and he understood what Gail's brother must be feeling. Sam had been shocked to see what had transpired between Crowley and Cas too, but at least Sam had the context of having known both the King of Hell and his Angel friend for many years now. Sam found that nothing much surprised him any more. Obviously when Crowley had brought Cas back from the dead, he'd used a special power to do it, and Cas was now experiencing its aftereffects. He and Dean would have to keep a close eye on Cas for the next little while, that was all. But Frank might be a problem. Sam wanted to be sure that Gail was safe to be around Cas too, but he and Dean had better talk to Frank, make sure that he understood that Cas was a good guy.

Meanwhile, Crowley and Bobby were standing together over Metatron's body. Crowley still couldn't believe it. After all this time, and all the trouble he'd caused wherever he went, Metatron was finally gone. And who would have thought his essence would have been pink? Crowley reminded himself to have a good laugh about that later.

"Can I have him, Bobby?" Crowley asked.

He sounded just like a little kid at Christmas, Bobby thought with some amusement. Oh, the irony. Especially considering that the big day was coming up soon. But Bobby frowned. "No," he told Crowley. "I'm not gonna risk it. You couldn't hold him before. Let him stay in the Netherworld."

"But I could hold him," Crowley cajoled, "in a certain cage I know you're familiar with."

Bobby levelled him with a glare. "Which I'm very sorry for," Crowley added quickly.

"It's amazing how ingratiating you can be when you want something," Bobby said, scowling. "But why would you want that?"

Crowley smiled mischeviously. "I don't know, really. I guess I just want to see them drive each other crazy."

Bobby looked at him sharply. Did Crowley have a death wish, or was he that oblivious? "Do you really want to be saying things like that to me?" Bobby said calmly, but there was an edge to his voice now.

Crowley considered. Perhaps he'd gone too far in this particular instance. But he'd already apologized for that, and he'd just about had his fill of being a good guy today. It was only the joy he had felt at seeing Castiel go dark that was still sustaining him now.

"Can I have him, or not?" Crowley asked softly.

Bobby had been about to refuse out of sheer spite, but he made himself take a deep breath so he could think about it for a minute. Maybe that would be the best place for Metatron. He had bounced around from Heaven to Earth to Hell and back again, and it didn't seem like there was any place that could contain him for long. The only place Metatron hadn't seemed to have been yet was Purgatory, and Dean and Cas had gotten out of there, hadn't they? And Raphael had managed to get out of the Netherworld, at least long enough to testify at the tribunal. No to mention that Cas had been there recently, albeit briefly, until Crowley had brought him all the way back home. Exactly how, Bobby still didn't know. Probably more of this "Originals" crap.

But they both knew that only God Himself, the original God, could open Lucifer's cage, and He would never do that.

"Okay, Crowley," Bobby agreed. "Take him, and lock him away for good. Nobody will miss him."

Crowley's face broke into a wide grin. He'd have to contact Death as soon as they were done here. Those kinds of deals usually had to be cleared through him first. Though he'd probably be pissed at Crowley for not having gone through the proper channels when the King of Hell had returned Castiel behind Death's back. Crowley would have to think of a really good offering to appease Death this time, to obtain his cooperation in the matter of stealing an Original from the Netherworld.

Then Bobby moved to Aurielle, Crowley trailing behind him. She was laying where Castiel had pinned her to the floor with the dagger, and in her death she looked sweet and innocent again, as she had once been.

Bobby shook his head. How could he have been so wrong about her? Was he losing his touch, or had she just been that devious? Thank God she hadn't really harmed anyone with Rowena's spell book. He guessed she had probably been alone and loveless for her entire existence. Then she had developed her crush on Castiel, which had then become a fixation, and that had been the beginning of the end for her. Had she always had the potential to be crazy, or had her obsession with Cas made her so? Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

Bobby felt sympathy for her still, but he'd been burned once, and once was enough.

"Might as well take her, too," he said to Crowley, sighing.

"Done," Crowley said. He had no smart comment for a change. He was inexplicably glad that Aurielle's potion hadn't worked on Castiel. He may enjoy seeing his Brother stumble on occasion, but ending up with a crazy woman was a different matter entirely.

Bobby looked at Crowley curiously then. "Could you have cured her?"

Crowley was startled. "What?"

"Could you have cured her?" Bobby repeated. Suddenly, it seemed really important to Bobby to find out. "Like you did me?"

Crowley frowned. He wasn't sure he wanted to get into that with Bobby. Every time Bobby brought up the subject, they were both reminded that Crowley had been responsible for Bobby having been driven to insanity in the first place. And Crowley knew that Bobby was in the dark about many of the powers the Originals possessed. Castiel could tell Bobby as much or as little as he chose, but if Crowley were to give his Brother some free advice, he'd tell him to keep some cards close to his vest, even when it came to God. And if Gail did have some Original powers now, none of them knew exactly what they were yet, and she wouldn't know how to most effectively use them, anyway. Maybe he'd have to have a secret rendezvous with Romeo and Juliet. If they'd meet with him, of course. With Lucifer out of play and Metatron about to join him, they'd be the only three Originals there were at the moment.

But Bobby already knew about this particular ability of Crowley's, having experienced it himself. So Crowley said, "Yes, I could have."

Bobby sighed again. Such a waste. He waved his hand to cast her down to Hell and clear away the body, but she had been stabbed so viciously that it took both his and Crowley's strength combined to pry the blade out of the floor.

Wow. Bobby looked over at Cas, who was now embracing Gail, his head on her shoulder. Bobby resolved to keep an eye on Cas, just on general principles. He wasn't convinced his friend was completely back to normal.

Bobby looked at Crowley suspiciously, but Crowley's expression was neutral. "Is he gonna be OK?" Bobby asked Crowley, jerking his head in Cas's direction.

"Of course," Crowley said innocently. "He has the love of a good woman and all of you Angels to keep him on the straight and narrow, doesn't he?"

But Crowley was his Father's Son, and it occurred to Bobby later that Crowley hadn't exactly answered the question. Of course, what was OK to the King of Hell may not be OK to God. It was all in the way you looked at it.

Gail was kissing Cas now, her earlier reticence gone. She'd been so scared so often today that they were both going to die, yet they were still here, and they were together. The rest of the people in the room had disappeared to her temporarily, and she felt like it was just the two of them here. She was kissing his face, ignoring the blood on it. Red was only a colour, and it could be washed off.

He kissed her on the mouth, and the kiss became a very human one. Gail felt herself responding, oblivious to all the eyes in the room staring at the two of them. Cas's hands were roving, exploring her body, and she moved closer to him, forgetting where they were for a moment. Bobby and the humans were shocked to see such an open display from them, but Crowley was grinning. He'd told Gail she'd thank him later.

But Frank was disgusted. "What the hell, Gail?" he yelled at her. "Nobody needs to see that!"

Dean was with Frank on this one. He normally would have teased them about getting a room, but Dean was uneasy about what he was seeing from Cas. Even when the two of them had been humans in Las Vegas, they'd always kept private things private. This aggressive behaviour from Cas was out of character, and Dean didn't like it.

Gail broke out of the embrace, coming to her senses. What the hell were they doing?

Cas smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry, everyone. I was just so glad that we were OK, I guess I got a little carried away."

A little? Jody was no prude, but she'd felt like they'd been watching a very private, intimate moment that had no place in this context. She'd never thought that Angels could behave that way. But she saw the way that Crowley was looking at them. He clearly approved, and she had seen Crowley casting what appeared to be a Demon out of Cas, though she had never seen red smoke before, only black. Something was really weird here.

Frank was not convinced by Cas's apology. As far as Gail's brother was concerned, Cas had known exactly what he was doing, he just hadn't cared. Some Angel. Gail had led a very sheltered life on the run with her brother, cloistered away in motel rooms, reading while Frank was out Hunting. Frank couldn't even remember her ever going out on a date with a guy, let alone doing anything else with one. Cas was good-looking, he was charming, and he was an Angel; it wasn't too difficult to imagine Gail falling hard for the guy. Frank had thought that Cas was a good and decent man when he'd come to get him from Hell, and Sam and Dean and Bobby had had lots of positive things to say about him, too. But Cas was entirely too cozy with Crowley, in Frank's opinion. And what exactly were the crimes he had committed in the past that were so severe that Heaven had felt they had to put him to death? And Gail had been there with him, on trial, painted with the same tarnished brush. They'd glossed over that whole thing, but Frank was determined to get some answers, and he was going to get them today.

"Well, it's been a pleasure, as always," Crowley said, nodding to everyone. He looked at Bobby. "We'll talk soon, I'm sure." Then he looked at Cas and Gail. "Perhaps we'll talk as well." He snapped his fingers and then he was gone.

Then they were all back in the bunker, and now that everything was winding down, the humans were exhausted. So were the Angels; though they wouldn't be sleeping, of course, they were still mentally and emotionally wrung out.

Bobby pressed the spell book he had taken from the table in the cabin into Sam's hands. "Here, take it for your library. I never want to see the damn thing again."

Sam flipped through the book briefly, then he thought better of it. Maybe he'd give it a more thorough examination another time, but for today, he had had enough. Bobby looked grim, and Sam knew his friend's guilt must be eating away at him. Sam put his hand on Bobby's arm. "It's OK, Bobby. Everything turned out OK."

Bobby appreciated what Sam was trying to do, but he wasn't ready to forgive himself yet. He needed to go back up to Heaven and spend some quiet time thinking about what came next. He owed Cas and Gail an apology, at the very least. He just didn't have the stomach for it tonight.

"Let's go," he said to Chuck, Kevin and Becky. Kevin had been about to ask about the Demon Tablet translation, but one look at Bobby's face and he figured he'd better not. There was no imminent threat any more, anyway.

Everyone thanked the Angels for their help and support, and Cas and Gail gave them big hugs, and then they were gone.

Jody turned to Sam and Dean. "Do you guys have a spare room where I can crash tonight? I'm so tried I don't trust myself to drive."

"Sure, Jodes," Sam said. "I'll take you to the room Gail uses when she's here." He looked at Gail. "I guess you won't be needing it any more now that you have your own place," he said, smiling sadly.

Gail felt a pang. No, she supposed she wouldn't. Funny how she'd come to think of it as "her" room. So many memories. "I guess you're right, Sam," she said lightly. "But keep the bed made anyway. You never know." They smiled at each other, but Sam thought that was kind of a strange thing for her to say.

So did Cas, and his eyes narrowed a bit. What would she want with a room here, when they had their house now? But maybe she was just feeling sentimental about that room. After all, she'd stayed there on the first night she and Cas met.

He walked over to Gail and put his arm around her waist. "What do you say we go home?" he said in her ear. "Give our human friends a chance to get some sleep."

Sounded good to Gail. But Frank said, "Hold it. I want to talk to Gail for a minute."

Cas smiled at him. "Sure, Frank. Should we go to the kitchen?"

"Alone," Frank said shortly.

Cas was taken aback. Frank was frowning at him. What had Cas done now?

"It's OK, Cas, I wanted to talk to you anyway," Dean said, coming up from behind Cas and Gail and putting his hand on Cas's arm. "Let's you and me go to the kitchen and Frank and Gail can talk out here."

Oh. Well, if Dean wanted to talk to him...Cas assumed that Dean wanted a blow-by-blow, so to speak, of what had happened at the cabin. He was actually looking forward to being able to tell his friend about it. He was proud of himself for having defeated their enemies so easily. And he was sure that Dean would ask about that business with Crowley, too. Cas knew exactly what had transpired, and he was willing to share that, too. There were only two things that he would not share. One was what had happened between him and Aurielle. He'd be glad to tell Dean how quickly and efficiently he had killed her, but nothing else. He'd had a brief moment of weakness, and his confused mind had thought that she was Gail, anyway. There was no need to tell anyone about it, ever. As it was, he'd have to apologize to Gail, and beg her forgiveness for that, too. He knew she'd seen.

And the other thing he would not share? Cas was glad that Crowley had left a little Demon in him. It would serve him well the next time he had to fight and kill, and he knew there would be a next time. He'd made plenty of enemies over the years, and he'd allowed Gail to be victimized too often with his Angelic attitude. Well, that was going to end now. And if his personality was slightly altered by the incursion of Demon essence into his body, what of it? Castiel was still himself, and he still loved his friends, and he loved Gail beyond all else. Maybe he just wouldn't be such a pushover any more.

Frank sat Gail down on the couch.

"What is it, Frank?" she asked him. "I'm tired, and I'm sure you must be, too."

"So what?" he retorted. "I can have coffee, and you don't sleep."

She sighed. "Cas and I have been through a lot today. Can't this wait until tomorrow?"

"It's him I want to talk to you about," Frank said grimly.

Gail rolled her eyes. What was his problem now?

"What was he on trial for?" Frank asked her.

"We already told you about that," she answered.

"You didn't tell me much of anything," Frank argued. "Just that this guy Xavier railroaded him, and they executed him."

"Well, that's what happened. What else do you want me to say?"

"What was he on trial for, Gail?" Frank repeated.

She paused. OK, if he wanted to know that badly, she'd tell him. "Oh, just the usual. Murder, sex, saying he was God. Standard stuff." She was being flippant. "Though now that I think of it, they dropped the sex charges against us."

But Frank was frowning. "I know you think you're being funny, but there's something wrong with that guy, Gail."

She was angry now. "No, there isn't. There's something wrong with YOU. He rescued you from Hell, and you've been looking for an excuse to dislike him ever since you got here." She got up to leave, but Frank grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back down.

"What's going on with him and Crowley?" Frank demanded.

"What do you mean? Nothing's going on with him and Crowley," Gail responded. But she was on shiftier ground here. It was obvious that something WAS going on with Cas and Crowley, but she wasn't prepared to have this discussion with Frank when she hadn't even had it with Cas yet.

"I know Demon when I see it," Frank said sharply. "You might say I'm an expert on the subject."

"Oh, believe me, I haven't fogotten," Gail retorted. She knew what her brother was getting at, and if she was on shifty ground before, now she was standing on jello. Frank was stating aloud what she was afraid to even think: Her Cas was part Demon now, courtesy of Crowley. Just how big a part remained to be seen. But she couldn't sit and listen to this from Frank. "You're such a hypocrite," she said to him. "You were a Knight of Hell! Who are you to accuse anyone of - "

"I'm not accusing anybody of anything," Frank interrupted, frustrated with his sister. "I'm just trying to look out for you."

"Well, I don't need you to look out for me," Gail shot back. "I'm a grown woman now, in case you hadn't noticed."

"Oh, I noticed," Frank said, and he couldn't resist adding, "and I noticed your Demnon boyfriend noticing, too."

Gail stood up quickly, and she raised her hand to slap her brother across the face. He had just gone over the line. But Frank stood up just as suddenly, and he grabbed her by the wrist before she could hit him.

"Really, Gail?" he said, sounding just like Dean. "Fine. But when you look up one night and he's standing over you with an Angel blade in his hand, don't say I didn't warn you."

"Like YOU did to HIM, you mean?" she yelled. "Well, you can just go to hell, if that's how you feel! And I mean that literally! I wish you'd never come back!"

The second she'd said it, she saw the stricken look on her brother's face and Gail wished she could take it back. But she'd been so angry at him, and so scared at what he was saying. She didn't seriously believe for one second that Cas would actually do what Frank was saying; her brother had just been overstating, trying to make a point. But she loved Cas, and her brother didn't even know her any more.

"Cas, we're leaving!" Gail shouted, and she turned her back on Frank, walking through the library and down the hall.

Cas and Dean had heard the shouting, and they met Gail and Frank halfway down the hall.

"What's the matter?" Dean asked. "You're going to wake up Sam and Jody."

Right. Good point. Gail had forgotten that they'd gone to their rooms and were trying to sleep. No reason they should suffer through her family drama. She grabbed Cas's hand, pulling him down the hall into the library area.

"I want to go home," Gail said to Cas. "Now."

He looked at her, then at Frank. What the hell had gone on between these two? Gail looked extremely upset, and Frank's expression was grim.

Cas let go of Gail's hand and walked up to Frank. "What did you say to her?" he demanded.

"Family business," Frank said coolly. "Just a few facts of life about Demons."

Castiel was confused. Was Frank talking about Crowley, or about Frank himself? Had Gail's brother been telling her about his time in Hell? He could certainly understand how that would be upsetting to her.

"Well, I'm not sure exactly what transpired here, but I can assure you, she's quite familiar with Demons," Castiel said calmly, totally misunderstanding.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Frank retorted.

Cas's brow furrowed, but he was starting to get annoyed. "What are you talking about?" he asked Frank.

"I know where you live," Frank said cryptically. "Dean gave me the address."

"Well, maybe you should forget it," Gail said tartly. "You don't want to come over to a Demon den, do you? Been there, done that."

Oh. crap, Dean thought. This was bad. Cas had better take Gail out of here before she and Frank said things to each other they could never take back. He ought to know. He and Sam had said hurtful things to each other in the past, and some of those things haunted Dean to this day. But the worst thing was, Dean now knew what Frank had been trying to say to Gail, and after his conversation with Cas in the kitchen, Dean was pretty sure that Frank was right.

Cas had had enough. He just wanted to take Gail home to their new house and enjoy some private time. The adrenaline of his rage had finally worn off, and he just wanted to wash off the blood and wash off his day. Maybe watch some TV with Gail. Maybe not. He strode back to her and took her hand, and they winked out of the bunker without another word.

Frank looked at Dean, expecting to hear all about how he was acting like a dick, but he was surprised when Dean said, "I'm worried about it, too. We'd better have a talk."

Once they got home, Gail went into the bathroom to check herself in the mirror. She didn't have too much blood on her, just on her face and on her hands, mainly. Jason had cleaned her wounds efficiently, she thought wryly. Once she'd changed her clothes, she should be pretty much back to normal. So she washed her face and hands at the sink, and she came back out to find Cas waiting in the hallway with a blundle of fresh clothes in his arms.

"I need a shower," he told her. "I'll be out in a minute."

Gail nodded. She went to the bedroom closet and picked out a pair of pants and a top; then she went to the bureau, wondering if there would be anything in there. Nope. Well, Cas had been very busy the day that he was God, and he couldn't think of everything. She'd have to go shopping tomorrow. Maybe she would ask Jody if she'd like to go along, if Jody didn't have to hit the road right away. Gail couldn't remember the last time she had gone shopping with a female friend, if ever. And while she'd never been especially interested in doing so, it might be a nice change of pace.

She put on the fresh clothes and sat on the bed, waiting for Cas. He came out in just a few minutes, and he was wearing the clean clothes he'd taken with him. He was scrubbed clean of all the blood, and he smiled gently. "Much better," he said to her. "Put yours together with mine. We'll burn them in the morning. I always hated doing laundry, anyway," he quipped, and she laughed. This was her Cas, all right. Frank was crazy.

Gail reached for the remote, but Cas said, "No. I'd like to talk. Please."

He walked to the bed and she moved over to make room for him. He sat on the bed and took her hands in his. "Quite a day, wasn't it?" he said.

"You're not kidding," she agreed. "Where do we start?"

"Here," he said, kissing her on the cheek. "Always here."

Gail smiled. "My favourite place," she teased.

"Are you sure?" Cas said, his eyes twinkling.

"Well, okay, maybe just slightly to the east of there," she said, playing along.

Then he kissed her the same way he'd done in the cabin, but there was nobody watching now, it was just the two of them, and Gail thought that there was no discussion on earth that couldn't wait a while.

Dean and Frank were having their own discussion, and it was a serious one.

"Look, Frank," Dean said, then paused to take a sip of his beer. What exactly was he trying to say here? "You know Sammy and me well enough by now to know that we wouldn't be friends with Cas if he was...well, you know."

"What? If he was what? A Demon?"

They both turned to look at Sam, who had padded into the kitchen in his bare feet, looking for something to drink, maybe a midnight snack. Sam had heard the voices, and he'd thought it might be something like this. Even though he'd been exhausted, he'd had trouble sleeping. He and Dean had seen a lot of variations on the theme, but Sam had never seen Cas quite like he'd been tonight.

Dean looked at Sam as his brother crossed the kitchen and went to the fridge, taking out three bottles of beer. Sam had a knack for cutting right through the b.s. to the heart of a problem, just like Gail did. He'd just said what they'd been thinking.

"I don't think he's a Demon, exactly," Dean said to Frank, who was looking alarmed, even though Frank himself had pretty much alluded to the same thing when he'd tried talking to his sister.

Dean sighed. He knew more than a little about the subject himself. As Sam sat down to join them, sharing out the beers, Dean told Frank about the Mark of Cain and the affect it had had on him. "I don't think what Crowley did to him is even close to being that bad," Dean said hastily. He could see Frank was fuming. He'd have felt the same way if some female Demon was trying to get her hands on Sam; in fact, that had also happened to them. Man, they had led a rich, full life, Dean thought sarcastically. But that was a story for another day.

"Crowley was doing him a favour," Sam said suddenly. Frank and Dean turned their heads to look at him. "That's how Crowley sees it, anyway," Sam continued, taking a sip of beer. "Hey, I'm just playing Devil's Advocate," Sam said, his lips twitching.

"Really, Sam?" Dean said, not knowing if he should smile in case Frank punched him in the face. "Really?" he said again.

But Frank's lips twitched, too. He was his sister's brother, after all, and he appreciated a good one when he heard it. "How worried should I be about this, guys?" Frank asked them. He knew they were good men, and he valued their opinions. And they were surrogate brothers to Gail now, too. They had helped take care of her all this time, and Frank believed they would look out for her best interests, the same as he was trying to do.

"Mild to moderate," Sam replied. "We'll let you know if it goes to Orange."

"Don't you mean Yellow?" Dean asked his brother.

"No, Orange," Sam retorted. "How can Yellow be worse than Orange?"

"Depends on the colour scheme you're - " Dean said defensively, then, "Shut up, Sam."

Sam grinned, and so did Frank. But his smile faded quickly. This was the kind of banter he usually enjoyed with Gail, but things had really gone south between them tonight. "She said she wished I'd never come back," he said quietly, sadly.

Dean and Sam looked at each other and winced. That was harsh. "I'm sure she didn't mean it," Sam told Frank.

"Yeah," Dean agreed. "You probably just made her mad. She has a blind spot when it comes to Cas. He's a good guy, Frank, but he's not perfect. He has done a lot of questionable things in the past, but so have we. So have you." Frank looked at him sharply, but he said nothing, because Dean was right. "She's been a good influence on him," Dean said, "but none of us are Saints here. It's been a rough year for all of us."

"Maybe if people would quit trying to kill us for a few days, we'd be able to sit down and have a nice family dinner sometime," Sam quipped.

Frank rolled his eyes. "Are we gonna have to hide the knives when Crowley sits down?" he said, trying to match Sam's tone.

"Never gonna happen," Dean said. He was not smiling. "Look, I don't know what kind of 'favour' he thinks he did for Cas, but I can promise you something, Frank. Nothing's gonna happen to Gail. Not on our watch."

It was not clear exactly what Dean might mean by that, and he didn't elaborate. He took another sip of beer, thinking about his conversation with Cas. As disturbed as he'd been by it, he didn't believe for one second that Cas would ever hurt Gail. If he did, he wouldn't have let her leave with him, no matter how much she'd wanted to. But he'd told Frank a moment ago that Gail had been a good influence on Cas, and while that was certainly true, now he found himself wondering what kind of influence this new version of Cas was going to have on her.

"I'm so sorry, Gail," Cas was saying. "I only kissed her because I thought she was you."

Gail raised her eyebrow. "Really? And you couldn't tell the difference?"

Cas sighed. He'd known he was going to have to face the music about that. "For a millisecond, I was confused. I'd swallowed some of the potion. That stuff really works, apparently. We'd better not ever let that recipe fall into the wrong hands."

He'd been going for humour, but his joke fell flat and she wasn't amused.

"It really hurt me to see you kiss her," Gail told him. She knew she was being pouty, but she just couldn't help it. It HAD really hurt. "And why on earth would you think she was me, anyway?"

"It was the cup she was holding," Cas said.

"What?" she asked him.

"I was picturing you on the first night we met," he said, smiling. "I was the saddest, loneliest Angel there ever was. I was dying, and I'd given up. Then I met you. 'When I saw you I fell in love and you smiled because you knew'," he quoted.

She smiled back. "Romeo and Juliet," she said.

"Yes," he replied. "Metatron did give me Shakespeare."

"How long have you been waiting to spring that on me?" she asked him, amused.

"Just waiting for the right time," he said lightly.

She had to hand it to him. His timing had been impeccable. And he had disarmed Gail. She didn't feel like bringing up the fight with Frank now, nor what had happened between Cas and Crowley. So she kissed him, and he responded eagerly, laying her down and maneuvering his body on top of hers.

"'Consent...that we may enjoy each other'," Cas murmured. Another quote. He was on fire, and now, so was she.

Well, if he was going to put it that way, what choice did she have?

They dressed in the morning, and Gail wanted to go to the bunker immediately. She felt badly about the way she'd left things with Frank, and she wanted to apologize.

"I think HE owes YOU an apology," Cas said archly. "Maybe me, too."

Gail made a face. "Could you please just try to get along with him for two minutes?"

Cas turned his back on her, and his eyes flashed for a moment, but Gail didn't see. "If he doesn't call me a Demon again, I might consider it," Cas said lightly. He turned back to face her. "How do I look?" he asked her.

Funny, she couldn't remember him ever asking her that before; she'd always just volunteered the information. But that was when they'd been humans. They were both Angels now, weren't they? Cas had never seemed to care before, or if he'd cared, he had never asked her. Strange. Even stranger that she had the feeling that he knew he looked good, as he always did.

"Handsome as always," she told him, and he smiled. "But why the sudden interest in your appearance?"

"I don't know," he said, and for a moment he really seemed confused. Then he brightened. "Maybe I just want to look good for your brother. Show him I'm not the bad guy he seems to think I am."

This was the strangest conversation she'd ever had with Castiel, and Gail didn't quite know what to make of it. She preferred to think that he was just concerned about how Frank had been perceiving him. His feelings must be hurt by the way that Frank had been behaving towards him, and Gail could understand that. Castiel had a lot of human traits now, as she still did. They'd certainly had a very human night last night, she thought warmly. They'd never had that discussion, either; things had just happened, and before they knew it, it had been Vegas all over again. And if there was a little voice in the back of her head that questioned that, she told it to shut up. They were happy this morning, weren't they?

Frank and Jody, Sam and Dean were sitting at the kitchen table having coffee when Cas and Gail arrived.

Frank put his mug down and looked at them, wondering if he should speak first. And if he did, what would he say? He was sorry that he and Gail had fought last night, but he wasn't sorry for what he'd said, though maybe he could have chosen his words a little better.

But Gail approached Frank and leaned down, kissing him on the cheek. "I'm sorry, Frank," she said to him. "I never should have said what I said. I didn't mean it. I'm glad you're here."

Frank stood and they shared a hug, then Gail drew up a chair beside her brother and took a seat. She looked around the table at the others. "How's everybody feeling this morning? Did you get some rest?"

Jody smiled. "Some of us more than others. These guys were up talking half the night."

Dean got up and went to get another cup of coffee. "Anybody else?" he said, waving the decanter. "Gail?" he teased.

"Shut up, Dean," she said good-naturedly.

"How about you guys?" Dean asked her, but he was looking at Cas. "Did you get some rest?"

"Not really," Cas said casually, and Gail smiled. Cas was standing behind her, and he reached down and stroked Gail's cheek. She grabbed his hand and kissed it.

Frank was annoyed. "Do you think you two could quit it for just a minute? I'm trying to work up an appetite for breakfast."

Cas's eyes flashed. What was Frank's problem? He sounded just like Xavier.

Gail thought so, too. But she didn't want to have another fight so soon after the last one, so she changed the subject.

Gail looked at Jody and said, "I need to go shopping today. Do you want to come with me, or do you need to hit the road?"

Jody suppressed a smile. She couldn't remember if she'd ever been asked by another woman to go shopping before. Like Gail, she could take it or leave it, but it might be a new experience for her.

"Sure," Jody answered. "I'm supposed to get back, but I'll call them and tell them I'll be gone another day. I am the boss, after all."

"Good. OK, then," Gail said.

"What do you have to go shopping for?" Cas asked her. He had drawn up a chair and was sitting beside Gail now, and he had taken her hand in both of his. If Frank didn't like it, that was too bad.

Gail paused a moment, then whispered something in Cas's ear that made him smile. Then he whispered something back to her, something that sounded to Frank like, "I don't think you'll need them much." Gail laughed.

Sam cleared his throat. He could see Frank doing the slow burn again, and Sam figured he'd better provide a distraction. He wondered what had gotten into Cas and Gail. It was as if they were trying to piss Frank off.

"Maybe we should go shopping too," Sam said to Gail's brother. "Dean and I can give you some stuff, but you'll need to restock."

Frank was glad for the opportunity to think about something else besides his concern for his sister. "That would be good," he said to the Winchesters. "Thanks."

"So that's our morning, then," Dean said. He looked at Cas. Should they ask him to come along? Normally, it would be a no-brainer, but the way things had been going between him and Frank made Dean cautious. Should he and Sam really bring the two of them together around so many weapons?

Sam had been wondering the same thing, but he thought the excursion might be an opportunity for Cas and Frank to extend the olive branch to each other. Nothing said male bonding like shopping for weapons.

But Cas was sitting back in his chair, and he was shaking his head as if Sam had already extended the invitation. "Well, I guess I'd better find something to do with myself, then," he said pleasantly. Cas knew that Sam and Dean would have welcomed him if he'd decided to go along on their little excursion, but there was something else he wanted to do this morning, anyway. They just didn't need to know about it.

Cas looked at Frank. He really wanted to try to get along with Gail's brother, he just wasn't sure exactly how to go about it. Everything he said and did seemed to set Frank off. Truthfully, Cas thought he had been quite patient with Frank. He realized that Gail's brother was going through a difficult adjustment. He'd been taken from this Earth before his time and thrust into Crowley's world, while Sam, Dean, Gail and Cas himself had been leading a diametrically opposite sort of existence. Frank and Gail had relied on each other for so many years, and it had been just the two of them. Now Gail was an Angel, and she had her own life to live. She had moved on, but Frank was having trouble cutting the cord. Well, Cas could help him with that.

"So Frank, will you be heading out once you get yourself prepared?" Cas asked him.

Frank had been contemplating doing just that before last night, but now he wasn't so sure he should. Not until he made sure it was OK to leave Gail with this guy.

"Are you that eager to get rid of me, Cas?" Frank said evenly.

Cas frowned. Was he? He'd brought Frank out of Hell to reunite him with Gail, and now he was encouraging him to leave.

"I didn't say that," Cas said calmly, but he was starting to get annoyed. All he had done was rescue Frank, and he had set him up with a generous bank account too, and Frank was still looking at him with mistrust.

"I might just stick around for a bit longer," Frank said. He looked at Gail, then looked back at Cas. "Spend some time with my sister. Like we used to do."

Cas got it. Frank was telling him that he wanted to spend time alone with Gail, and that Cas wouldn't be welcome. He had no problem with Gail wanting to spend time with her brother, or with anything she chose to do, but that should be her choice, not Frank's.

"What do you think, Gail?" Cas asked her softly. "Would you like that?"

Sure, she would. Why wouldn't she? But Gail had the feeling that there was more to this conversation than she was actually hearing. She looked at Cas. "Sure," she said to him. Then she looked back at her brother. "I still remember how to cook a few things." She smiled. "And I remember what you like. How about we have you over for dinner tonight? I'll fix a plate for myself to keep you company. We could use a nice, long chat. Just the three of us. No offense, you guys," she said to Sam and Dean.

"None taken," Sam said. He thought that was a great idea. Give them a chance to clear the air.

But Cas was shaking his head again, and Frank was frowning. "What?" Gail asked both of them.

"I meant, I wanted to spend some time with you alone," Frank told her.

Now it was Gail's turn to frown. "So what are you saying? You don't want to come over to our house if Cas is there?" He'd better not be saying that, or they were going to have another fight, right now.

Jody was a deep sleeper, so she hadn't been aware of last night's fight until Frank had confided in her this morning. He did like Jody, and she liked him, too. Jody thought Frank was nice, and he thought Jody was down-to-earth, and she fought as good as any man. Frank was glad to have met her.

But Jody could sense another fight brewing now, so she said, "Let's go get that shopping done, Gail." Jody thought she would be able to talk to Gail about Frank while they were out, try to help her see things from her brother's point of view.

Gail was staring at Frank. "Hold on, Jody. I really want to hear this," she said. But did she? Didn't she already know the answer? "Tell me the truth, Frank."

"You want the truth? OK," Frank said. "Let's just say I've spent enough time with Demons lately." Everyone in the room looked at him, shocked. "Oh, come on," Frank continued. "We're all thinking it, I'm just the only one who had the guts to say it. Elephant," he said to Gail.

Crap. He was right. The elephant in the room, and it just happened to be the guy who was holding her hand right now. Who may or may not still have more than a little Demon in him.

"You know what, Frank?" Castiel's jaw clenched, and he squeezed Gail's hand painfully for a moment. "I've been really patient with you up to this point, but you're testing me now."

"You've been patient with me?" Frank said sarcastically.

"Yes, I have," Cas answered him. "I raised you out of Hell, brought you back here to meet my friends, and gave you a lot of money to help get you set up. And yet you look at me as if I were something you scraped off the bottom of your shoe. I don't know where you got the ridiculous idea that I'm a Demon, but you're wrong, and you're insulting me."

"You don't know where I got the idea? How about that little exchange with Crowley in the cabin?" Frank retorted.

Castiel sighed. It was complicated, and it was obviously beyond Frank's understanding. Nevertheless, he tried to explain. "When Crowley brought me back to life, he must have infused me with some of his own essence. Then he took it out of me in the cabin." There. That should be easy enough for Frank to understand.

"But he said he didn't take it all," Frank said pointedly.

Cas's eyes flashed, and this time Gail did see it, along with everyone else in the room. The humans thought this was a bad sign, but Gail was on Castiel's side. She thought he'd summed up very well all the good things he'd done for Frank, and the lousy way that Frank was treating him in return. And yes, she'd been worried about the possible lingering presence of Crowley's essence in Cas, but she wasn't worried about it any more. She had spent the entire night and now this morning with Cas, and he was no Demon. The only changes she'd seen to his personality were the fact that he was actually standing up for himself with Frank, which she applauded him for, and maybe just a couple of things that they had done with each other last night. But she had no problem with either, and Frank needed to back off.

"And he may not have," Cas told Frank quietly. "But I'm OK with that. And if I am, and your sister is, then it's really none of your business, is it?"

Gail recognized that tone. That was Castiel's angriest voice, and it was usually a signal that he was about to lose it.

"Leave it alone, Frank," she said nervously. "Please."

But Frank wouldn't leave it alone. He couldn't. "How can you just sit there and take this, Gail? How stupid are you?" he yelled at her.

Gail opened her mouth to retort, but it was Castiel who spoke. Frank's insulting Gail had been the last straw. No one was going to talk to her like that, he didn't care who it was.

"I have tried to talk to you every which way I can think of," he raised his voice to Frank. "Now I see I will have to use a language that you can understand." He reached into his blazer and pulled out his Angel blade, slamming it down on the table.

Frank looked at the blade, then looked into Cas's eyes, which were blazing. "And just what kind of point are you trying to make with that?" he said scornfully. Did this guy think he scared that easily? And why wasn't Gail packing her bags right now? Couldn't she see that there was something seriously wrong with her boyfriend?

Gail was just glad that Castiel hadn't put the blade to Frank's throat, as he'd done to Xavier at that long-ago meeting. Frank was reminding her an awful lot of Xavier right now, and she didn't like it. Incredibly, she smiled for a moment, thinking about how amused she'd been when Cas had told her what he'd done to Xavier at the meeting. But she supposed she'd better calm Cas down.

Frank had seen Gail smile, and though her smile quickly disappeared, it made his blood run cold. Was she actually going to side with Cas against him? Did she think his pulling a blade out to prove some kind of macho point was funny? Who the hell was his sister now?

But Dean wasn't going to put up with it. "What the hell is wrong with you, Cas?" he yelled at his friend. "Look at what you're doing!" He got up and rushed around the table, hauling Cas to his feet. Let Cas punch him, he didn't care. There was no way he was going to sit here and watch him pull this crap. If Dean had been worried before, he was scared now. What was happening to his friend? Was he really threatening Gail's brother?

Castiel's eyes were still blazing, but he made no move against Dean. Dean grabbed Cas and spun him around to look at the Angel blade on the table. "What the hell is that? That doesn't belong there. Put it away. And if I ever see you threaten a family member with it again, I'm gonna take it and stick you with it myself."

I'd like to see you try, Cas thought, then he shook his head as if to clear it. Dean was right; what the hell had he been trying to prove? He picked up the blade and put it back in his blazer, then turned to look at Frank.

"I'm sorry, Frank, I don't know what - " Cas swallowed, then tried again. "I don't know why I did that. That's not me. I just - " Just what? What did he even mean to say? He just got so angry? Even if that was the case, what he'd done was inexcusable. How was he ever going to get along with Frank now?

Cas rushed out of the kitchen. He'd go to the couch by the fireplace to compose himself, then come back and make a proper apology. To Frank, to everyone. What must Gail be thinking?

Gail was angry, but at Frank, not at Cas. That was just the way Cas was. She'd even teased him about it in Seattle, when he'd pulled his blade on that drunk guy in the bar. He'd been trying to defend her then, and he was trying to defend her now. She didn't believe for a minute that he would ever actually hurt Frank, just like she knew he would never hurt her. But Frank had hurt Cas's feelings, and Cas had reacted with anger. Humour was her go-to response; anger was his.

She glared at Frank, rising from her chair. "I'll go talk to him," she told Frank. "Do you think, if you tried a little harder, you could be just a little more rude?" she said sarcastically, then turned on her heel and left the room.

Frank looked at Sam and Jody, then at Dean, who was still standing where Cas had been. Dean was breathing heavily, trying to rein in his own temper. "Is it just me, you guys?" Frank said in a shaky voice, laughing nervously.

"No, it's not just you," Sam said quietly. "I think we just went to Code Red."

Dean ran his hands through his hair, frustrated. "That's not him, Frank," he said. "I've never seen him do anything like that before. Well, not when he was himself, anyway."

"So Cas is part Demon now?" Jody said, astonished. "You're going to have to do something about this, fellas. Before it gets out of hand." And what was up with Gail? she wondered. Why wasn't she kicking Cas's ass?

Gail wasn't kicking anything at the moment; she was putting her arms around Cas and kissing him softly on the cheek.

"I'm sorry, Gail," he was saying. "I can't possibly justify what happened in there. I don't care how angry I become, I hope you know I would never do anything to hurt your brother. Dean should have punched me right in the face. Or Frank should have. Which is his dominant hand, so I know which cheek to offer him?" he joked.

Gail smiled. She wished Frank could see Cas like this. He was no Demon, and he was really sorry for what he'd done.

"I told him he needs to stop being so rude to you," Gail said to Cas. "Or words to that effect. I was so mad I don't remember exactly what I said."

"At me," Cas said sadly. Not that he could blame her.

"No, Cas." She touched his face. "At him."

Castiel looked at her in surprise. "At him?" he echoed.

"Yes, at him. You've been nothing but good to him, and he's been nothing but rotten to you. I don't blame you for being fed up with him," she insisted.

Cas appreciated her acknowledging his feelings, but he was uncomfortable. "You shouldn't be making excuses for me," he told her. "What I did was reprehensible."

Gail considered this. "Okay, yes, it wasn't great. Maybe we should sign you up for anger management courses," she teased.

Cas sighed. "Or maybe Exorcism 101."

She looked at him sharply.

"Elephant," he said to her, sounding like her brother.

"Do you really think you're a Demon?" she asked him softly.

"No," he said, taking her hands in his. "Not really. If I was a Demon, how could I love you like I do?" His eyes were bright blue now, not a hint of purple anywhere, and they were twinkling.

"Of course, if you were 100% Angel, you wouldn't have been able to love me like you did last night," she quipped.

They stared at each other for a moment. Whatever was said next by either of them would go on to determine their future, and the nature of their relationship. And it should stay just between the two of them.

"Which way do you prefer me?" Cas asked her quietly. "Whatever you say, I will abide by."

Gail was at a loss for words. He was leaving it up to her. She knew what she should say. Instead, she said, "So you meant what you said about leaving the important decisions up to me." They both smiled. That was what he had said in the boardroom, after he had had to decide the fates of the individual Upper Echelon board members.

"This would be the biggest executive decision you've ever made in your life," he said, remembering what she had said that same morning.

And he was right about that. But why was she even hesitating? She should be telling him to march up to the crossroads right now and have Crowley finish the job. They were Angels, for God's sake. And she had seen him in the cabin, and just now in the kitchen.

"We have to do the right thing here," Gail said slowly.

Castiel nodded. She was right, of course. In truth, he was a little disappointed, though. But he'd get over it. He'd left it up to Gail because he knew she'd make the best decision.

"We have to do the right thing for us," Gail said.

Cas frowned. She was being redundant now. He'd known what they'd been talking about, or not talking about really, was wrong. She didn't have to rub it in now.

"The question is, are the two things the same?" Gail mused.

He studied her face, holding his breath.

"Can you control it?" she asked him.

Castiel sighed. If they were even going to have this discussion, he had to be honest with her. "I don't know," he admitted. "I could try. I learned self-discipline in Heaven years ago. I was just never very good at it." He grinned. "I'm sure that comes as no surprise to you."

She smiled. No, it didn't. Out of the blue, she pictured a very different version of Cas; backpacking around Europe, getting by on his good looks and easy smile. Where had that come from?

"We know what the right thing is to do," she said again. "So, as your life partner and possible spouse, naturally, I'm going to do the opposite. But I think we should talk to Crowley first, before we decide. And I think we need to decide together."

Castiel nodded. Fair enough. "You realize we'll be lying to our friends," he cautioned her. If they were going to enter into this dubious pact together, he wanted to make sure their eyes were wide open. "And our family," he added, nodding his head towards the kitchen.

Gail frowned. She knew. If they decided to go that way, that was. She was leaning, but she was still on the fence. "This isn't just about a physical relationship, you know," she said to him, but Cas was already nodding. "As wonderful as it is," he continued with the thought, smiling at her.

She answered his smile. "As wonderful as it is," she agreed with him, touching his face again. He kissed the palm of her hand, then licked it, giving her a decidedly non-Angelic look. But really, what were they talking about here? They were talking about leaving some Demon in him, and lying to everyone about it. Were they selling their souls, and if so, to whom? To Crowley? To each other?

"I admired the way you stood up to Frank," she told him. "Not that business with the blade, but with your words. And you saved us in that cabin. You might have been able to do it anyway, but I think it was that little extra that made the difference."

"I think so, too," he agreed. "No one will ever hurt you again, I promise."

Now they were trying to put a positive spin on it. But they hadn't decided anything yet; they were just weighing the pros and cons, weren't they? And now they had to do the research.

They rose from the couch and went back into the kitchen, hand in hand.

"We're going to go see Crowley," Gail announced.

Frank took a deep breath, then let it out. He'd just about had his fill of that name, but he smiled now. "Good," he said.

Dean was happy, too. Crowley would finish the job, suck all the Demon out of Cas, and everything would be back to normal again. He'd figured Gail would be able to knock some sense into him, and Cas knew right from wrong.

"I'm very sorry, everyone," Cas said.

"Forget it," Dean said, clapping him on the shoulder. "We'll see you when you get back."

Gail and Cas exchanged surreptitious glances. But which version of Cas would they see?

Cas extended his hand to Frank. "Will you please accept my apology?"

Frank regarded his hand for a moment, then he took it and they shook. "Sure, Cas," he said. He wasn't sure he did accept it, actually, but if Cas was willing to do the right thing now, Frank wasn't going to start another fight. Thank God Gail had finally put her foot down.

"Sorry about the shopping, Jody," Gail said to her. "Maybe another time."

"That's OK, this is way more important," Jody answered her. "But I already called in. Maybe I'll tag along with these guys. I've always enjoyed looking at weapons."

Frank gave Jody a smile. A woman after his own heart.

Gail saw her brother smiling at Jody and thought that was interesting. Regardless of what happened with Crowley this morning, she realized she had some serious fences to mend with Frank. Maybe she'd tease him about that as an opener.

Frank caught her looking at him. Gail approached her brother, wrapping her arms around him for a hug. Surprised, he returned her embrace, then he gently pushed her away from him so that he could look into her eyes. "When Cas comes back an Angel again, I promise you all three of us will sit down for that talk," he told Gail. "And he will come back an Angel, right?"

"'What must be shall be'," she quoted evasively.

"What does that mean?" Frank asked her.

"Nothing," she said airily. "Just a little Shakespeare."

Frank shrugged. "Sounds more like Doris Day."

Gail laughed. That was the Frank she knew. She hoped to get along with him better when she and Cas got back from their meeting with the King of Hell. What a weird concept. She was leaving her brother to go have a civil conversation with Crowley. How upside-down their lives had become. And just how much stranger were things going to get?

Cas came over to claim Gail's hand, and they said their goodbyes to everyone, winking out of the bunker.

Dean looked at the empty space where they'd been for a few moments. He was extremely relieved. Now there would be no need for him to worry any more about the conversation he'd had with Cas last night, and no need for him to share it with anyone.

Cas had described the murders of Aurielle and Metatron and the torture of Jason in great detail, smiling almost lovingly. He'd told Dean what he'd had planned for Jason, and that he was sorry they had gotten there before he'd had the chance to carry it out. Dean had seen and done a lot of killing in his life, and he had tortured beings both here on Earth and in Hell, but the things that Cas had said he'd wanted to do to Jason had made Dean's blood run cold. And Cas admitted that he hadn't really cared what everyone thought about his moment of public intimacy with Gail. He'd told Dean he was looking forward to a very intimate night with her, too, and he'd given Dean a wink. Dean hadn't known if he should be amused by that, or uneasy, and he'd felt a combination of both. By the time they'd heard Gail shouting, Dean had come to the conclusion that Frank had already reached: Cas was not himself; he was part Demon now, and what was worse, he seemed to like it.

But now Cas and Gail were going to see Crowley, and the King of Hell would fix what he had done to Cas. Phew. Dean turned to Sam, Frank and Jody.

"Let's go look at some weapons," he said cheerfully.

Castiel and Gail stood at the crossroads, awaiting Crowley's arrival. They looked at each other and he squeezed her hand for encouragement. Cas knew that Gail was nervous. He'd met Crowley like this many times, but she never had, and it was almost beyond her comprehension that she was here, willingly calling upon Crowley to appear. He was the supreme evil, wasn't he? What was she even doing here? What was Castiel doing here? Shouldn't they know better?

And what was taking him so long? Every time she'd seen him appear out of the blue, it had been instantaneous. Dammit, Crowley, would you just get here, already? she thought. Before I lose my nerve! Maybe he wasn't going to come.

"You don't have to shout," Crowley said to her.

There he was, standing in front of them, and he was smiling.  
Yes, she was an Original, all right, Crowley thought. The two of them together had sent out the most powerful signal Crowley had ever received. And she had no idea, or if she did have an inkling, she had no idea what she could be capable of.

Whether he was willing to help enlighten her remained to be seen. Crowley had taken his time getting here because he knew exactly why they'd come. The Angels had come to their senses, and now they wanted him to take the rest of his Demon essence out of Castiel. Crowley had irrationally hoped that it would stay in there. He liked Castiel better this way, and he'd thought a part of Gail might, too. But he supposed they could hardly hold Castiel up as a hero in Heaven if he was not 100% Angel. Still, it was a shame.

"We need to talk to you," Castiel said to Crowley.

Crowley sighed. "I thought you might say that. But are you sure? Are YOU?" He looked at Gail with that, and a smile was playing at the corners of his mouth. "Think about it for a minute. You were very happy this morning, weren't you? And last night, I wager."

Gail looked at him, startled. What did he know? What had he seen?

Crowley's smile grew wider. "Relax, sweetheart. I can't see into your house, any more than I can see into the bunker. My Brother's protections prevent me from doing it. Not that I would look, anyway," he hastily added, seeing the dark look on Castiel's face. Maybe he should just hurry up and do it, Crowley thought. Castiel was a fearsome individual when angry even as an Angel; did Crowley really want him scarier?

Gail sighed with relief. But now that Crowley was here, she was having second thoughts. Should they even bother to have a conversation with him? How could they possibly have thought that leaving part of the King of Hell in Castiel was a good idea?

"Maybe we'd better forget it, Cas," she said to him. "I don't know what the hell we were thinking."

Cas frowned for a moment. If they weren't even going to have the discussion, why had she said they would? But he had agreed to abide by what she said, and they had never broken a promise either one of them had made to the other. Besides, she was right, wasn't she? What the hell HAD they been thinking? To even contemplate what they'd been contemplating was wrong.

But another part of him was weighing in now. He felt more confident this way, and much more powerful. Even though he now had a lot of human qualities, Castiel still felt that he was too meek sometimes. He'd let the board walk all over him for years and years, and they'd put him to death as a result. He'd allowed Jason to live when he should have killed him that night in the prison cell, and Jason had tortured Gail at the cabin and nearly killed her. He had been victimized by Metatron too, more than once. In trying to bring peace between the warring Angel factions, Castiel had allowed Metatron to lead him by the nose. That had led to The Fall, and there were Angels who still blamed Castiel for that to this day, and hated him for it. He could sense their condemning gaze every time he went to Heaven. And he had allowed Metatron to escape from Heaven's prison. He should have just let Metatron kill Aurielle. Especially the way things had turned out. It was not the beings he had killed that he regretted the most; it was the ones he had not. And then Metatron had turned around and killed Sam and Dean in Dallas, and he had also stabbed Gail to death in Las Vegas. If Castiel had just dealt with Metatron as severely as he should have to begin with, none of those things would have ever happened.

He looked at Crowley now. His Brother had revived Sam and Dean in Dallas, and though Castiel had been suspicious of the King's motives at the time, the result could not be argued with. His friends were still alive, courtesy of Crowley, as was Cas himself. Perhaps his Father had been right; maybe Crowley did have a redeeming quality or two. He had even restored Bobby's sanity, enabling him to return to rule Heaven.

"I never thanked you for returning me back to life," Castiel said to Crowley suddenly. "So...thank you."

Crowley looked at Castiel, astonished. Finally, the Thank You he'd been looking for all this time.

"But I fear the price of that revival may be too high," Castiel continued.

Crowley frowned. There his Brother went, ruining the moment. It was stuff like this that made him want to persuade Castiel to let the situation stand. Couldn't he see the potential benefits? Then Crowley had an idea.

"You know, with some of my essence in you, your powers would be increased exponentially," Crowley said to him. Crowley was still Hell's best dealmaker, and he knew how to be persuasive.

"I believe I am powerful enough," Castiel replied stiffly. But he didn't necessarily believe what he was saying, and Crowley could see that in his eyes.

"What about the side effects, though?" Gail piped up. Crowley frowned. He wanted to glare at her, tell her to shut up, but he'd better not set Castiel off. Not when he almost had the hook in. He would clearly have to ingratiate himself with Gail somehow if he was to stand a chance. Whatever else his Brother was, he was clearly a sucker for this woman, and Crowley had better show her some respect if he didn't want the new and improved Castiel to wipe the floor with him.

But Crowley was Crowley, and he couldn't resist saying to her, "I thought you were very happy with those." He raised an eyebrow to her.

Gail frowned. She knew what he was getting at, of course. Funny how she felt so creeped out when Crowley alluded to it, yet she'd indulged in the acts she knew he was hinting at with Cas so freely and enthusiastically last night. But that was different, she told herself. She and Cas loved each other.

"I'm not talking about that," she snapped at Crowley, and now he frowned. She was lucky he was feeling so magnanimous after his Brother's expression of gratitude. He generally didn't allow anyone to talk to him that way, and he certainly didn't want her to think that such liberties could be taken.

"Then just what are you talking about, sweetheart?" Crowley said through his teeth.

"I'm talking about the anger," Gail told him. "The violence."

"You're both still alive, aren't you?" Crowley shot back.

He was right about that, of course, but Gail was thinking about that scene in the bunker this morning. She looked at Castiel, and he nodded. He knew what she was thinking, and it troubled him, too.

"What?" Crowley said, noticing their exchange.

Castiel walked closer to Crowley. "Let me show you something," he said, raising his hand to Crowley's forehead. Their eyes met for a moment. "Oh, relax," Castiel said. "I just want to show you what happened this morning, so you'll know what we're talking about."

He touched Crowley's head and showed him what had happened in the bunker's kitchen between himself and Frank.

Castiel removed his hand and stepped back. "So you see why we might be concerned."

Crowley was grinning. He just couldn't help it. That had just been too funny. The Angel, slapping down on the former Knight of Hell. And Gail, standing up for Castiel against her brother. She was likely backing the wrong horse in this situation, but she was so besotted with Castiel that she was blinding herself to the potential of what he could become. They must have had quite the night last night if she was willing to overlook what he'd just seen. Castiel was only sorry that Castiel hadn't put his knife to Frank's throat. He'd have loved to have seen what would have happened after that. But then he was sure that if that had happened, they wouldn't be so conflicted now. Gail would have packed her bags and left Castiel for good. One night of unbridled passion would only go so far, no matter how mutually satisfying it had clearly been.

"Well, then, it'll be up to you to exercise some of that self-control you Angels are always preaching about," Crowley said to Castiel. "Count to ten. Leave the room. Whatever you need to do." Or don't, he thought with a smile. Just don't be in the bunker next time, so I can see it.

But he could tell that they were not convinced. Time to bring out the big guns.

"You do realize that because we're both Originals, any Original powers I have were likely transferred to you," Crowley said slyly to Castiel.

Castiel scoffed. "I can already heal," he said. "And while I've always wanted to travel, I cannot see the benefit of speaking a language I can't understand. And as for taking the Demon out of a being - " he opened his blazer to reveal the Angel blade there " - I can do that quite efficiently, thanks."

Crowley smiled. "I think you're forgetting about the big one. Our Father removed it from Lucifer, and Metatron is now dead. But I'm not."

Gail's brow furrowed. What was he talking about?

But Castiel got it. "You don't mean - "

Crowley was nodding. "It's entirely possible that you now have my most precious power. Though you may have to kill someone first in order to find out," he said wryly. "Better make sure it's someone expendable."

"The power of revival," Castiel murmured. He turned around to look at Gail. How many times could he have used that power in the past year alone? And while they were all thankfully still here, they couldn't get lucky forever, not with the way their lives were. Imagine if Dean lost his life on a Hunt and Castiel were able to bring him back to life? Imagine if Gail had not been a human in Las Vegas? What if she were to be killed now? She could do whatever she wanted, go out alone whenever she chose. He would never have to worry about her dying, because he could just give her life again. It would be the ultimate expression of his love for her.

So that was it, Gail thought. The big carrot, the top prize. Crowley really knew what he was doing, she thought grudgingly. They had to consider it now.

"Can we have a moment alone?" Castiel said quietly to Crowley.

"Certainly," Crowley said, at his most courtly. They were in the boat now, he knew; all he had to do was heat up the frying pan. "And just so you know, I'm convinced now that Gail is an Original, too." They both looked at him, startled. "But she will not have that same power, regrettably," he said hastily. He'd almost overplayed his hand. One more little push. "I would be glad to meet with the two of you to help discover which powers our Father may have given Gail, and train her how to use them. We don't have to be enemies any more, Castiel. We are all three Originals now, and we're the only ones left. We can truly have it all." There. He'd better stop. He'd been trying to emphasize what he honestly felt; that the three of them were special, apart from anyone else, and they should revel in that. Let the ordinary Demons, Angels and humans do what they were going to do; the Originals were above all that.

"I'll leave you to talk," Crowley continued. "Let me know when you're ready for me to come back. You won't have to summon me; just think my name and I'll be here. But maybe dial it back a bit. The combined power of two Originals is too much, even for me. Not to mention the booster you've got going right now," he said to Castiel. Always close the deal with a little temptation, Crowley thought. It had been the same for centuries. In his first and second incarnations, Castiel had been meek and mild, and had missed out on many of the emotions and experiences that God had dubiously gifted the vast majority of His children with. Crowley was sure that was why his Brother was proving so easy to tempt. He should have thought of this years ago, Crowley thought ruefully. But the time had not yet been right. When their Father had been around, Castiel had been dutiful and obedient, bending to God's will even when it had chafed at him to do so. Then God had left Heaven for the first time and Castiel had begun to discover his true potential when he'd fought in the Angel wars and aligned himself with Jason. He became a bloodthirsty killer, but the emotional component was still missing. He'd simply been a soldier, carrying out his orders. But then Castiel had rescued Dean Winchester, and everything began to change from that day on. The Winchesters had opened Castiel up to the realm of human emotions, teaching him the value of human fallibility and imperfection. Look at all the things he'd done since meeting them, and Sam and Dean had stuck by him throughout, when many others would have thrown their hands up in disgust. Then Gail had come along. She had been the final piece of the puzzle. She had shown Castiel that it was possible for him to give love and be loved in return, and she too had stuck by him despite the litany of sins she knew him to have committed. She wasn't even condemning him now, when she should have. No, far from it; she was rationalizing, making excuses for his recent behaviour, even standing against her own brother, when Frank had only been trying to get her to come to her senses.

Crowley knew that no one becomes depraved all at once; such things were usually years in the making, and Castiel had centuries of turning the other cheek to make up for. That was why all the power he'd acquired from ingesting all those corrupted souls had corrupted him immediately, and the lure of the ultimate power was about to do so again. You couldn't shake and shake the champagne bottle and then expect the cork not to pop when it was loosened. But the longer you waited, the more dangerous that cork became. Crowley smiled, pleased with his analogy. If his Brother said Yes, his enemies better start writing their wills right now. And maybe a few of his friends should, too.

"We could truly be together for eternity," Castiel was saying to Gail. "Our enemies could never touch us." He had both of her hands in his, and though his case was persuasive, Gail hadn't bought her ticket just yet.

"But this is Crowley we're talking about," she protested. "The one who's responsible, either directly or indirectly, for my parents' death, and Frank's." Cas noted her verbiage; she had already begun to hedge. "Not to mention what he tried to do to me."

Gail was right, but: "But he didn't succeed. You were stronger than that," Cas said gently. His eyes flashed for a moment. "And besides, you were never his. You were for me. We both know that."

She nodded. That was true. The first time she'd looked at those same eyes, she'd known it. And if they were tinged with violet from time to time, as they were now, Gail didn't mind. It was a beautiful colour.

"No one would ever be able to hurt you again," Cas continued. "Or Sam, or Dean." "Do you remember how worried we were about them when we were in Vancouver?" Boy, did she. "Well, if anything happened to them now, or to anyone we love, I would be able to bring them back."

Cas was being very persuasive. But neither of them stopped to think that Crowley had only said that it was "possible" that Cas now had his power of revival, and most importantly, that Demons were notorious liars. You could never put your trust in a Demon. Crowley usually had about a hundred motives for any one thing he did, and usually at least ninety-nine of them were malevolent. Crowley had known that Castiel's powers of revival had been stripped of him by their Father as punishment for his past wrongs, and it was this power that Castiel coveted the most, especially now that his Brother had formed such a strong emotional connection to the Winchesters, and to Gail, of course. Did Crowley think for one minute that he'd breathed this power into Castiel? No. If such a thing were possible, Crowley would have done it a long time ago, and Castiel would definitely not have been on the list of recipients. Of course, there was a tiny, miniscule, infintessimal chance that the mixing together of Original powers could produce such a result, much as the mixing of red and blue produced purple, but Crowley highly doubted it, especially since he'd had to take a good bit of himself out of Castiel at the cabin. But one never knew for sure when it came to God's Originals.

"But, what about you?" Gail asked Castiel now. "What about the consequences?"

"And what would those be?" he said quietly.

She raised an eyebrow. Really? "Oh, I don't know, the anger? The violence, maybe? Or how about the fact that you'd be part Demon? Any of those ringing a bell?"

Castiel frowned. Everything she was saying was true. But he thought he could handle it. To Cas, the risk was minimal compared to the reward. He would just have to rein in his temper. Gail could help him with that, he was sure. She was the only one who understood him, and who had ever been able to calm him down when he was at the height of his anger. The question was, would she support him and remain loyal to him when they had to look their family and friends in the eyes and lie? How far was she willing to go for him? And just how far did he want to go?

"Do you love me?" Castiel asked her. He had asked her the same question when she'd been on the witness stand at the tribunal, and he had received the same answer then as the one she gave him now.

"Yes, of course," Gail replied.

"Will you always love me?" he persisted.

She touched his face. As long as she would do that, Cas knew everything would be fine. "Always," she told him. "I always have, and I always will."

"No matter what colour my eyes happen to be at the time?" he teased, smiling.

This was Gail's last chance to protest, to object, say what they were agreeing to was beyond crazy. But she did love him, and purple had always been one of her favourite colours. She told him this now, and they shared a laugh.

Crowley came the instant they called, and the Angels faced him, hand in hand as always.

"OK, we're in," Cas said to him without preliminary. "But I just want you to know, I'm still an Angel, and my first and only allegiance is to Heaven. That will never change."

Crowley regarded him coolly. We'll see, he thought. But he said smoothly, "I never expected otherwise. I meant what I said before. There's no reason we have to be enemies."

Castiel laughed shortly. "Well, I don't know about that. But I'll accept your premise for now. Just make sure you keep your subjects out of my friends' backyard from now on."

Crowley had been about to point out that that particular incident had been Metatron's doing, but he managed to keep his mouth shut. He was getting what he wanted; he'd better not push it.

So Crowley smiled ingratiatingly at the couple. So sweet, standing there and still holding hands after all this time. So Angelic. So easy to manipulate. Funny, he'd thought that Gail would be the one who would need more convincing, but she had apparently decided to stand with Castiel once again, just as she had at his tribunal. Would there be another tragic result this time? Even Crowley could not say.

"We'll meet again soon, to begin Gail's training," Crowley said to them. "I'll be in touch." He snapped his fingers and disappeared again. Sometimes less was truly more.

Cas and Gail turned to look at each other once Crowley was gone.

"I was glad to hear what you said to him about your allegiance to Heaven," Gail told Castiel. She now had herself convinced that nothing had changed. Cas was still the Angel that he'd always been, and he'd let Crowley know that in no uncertain terms.

"And I meant it," Cas said, and he honestly believed what he was saying at the moment he was saying it. "I'm still me, I'm just...enhanced now. But we'll keep that between the two of us. I don't think anyone else could possibly understand."

He was right about that, Gail thought. She couldn't think of one person, or Angel, they knew who could. But it was their business. No Sam's, not Dean's, not Frank's. Not even Bobby's. As long as Cas kept his temper in check, no one need ever know. And she was excited at the prospect of discovering what her new powers were, and how to use them.

"So, where to now?" Cas asked her. "Your choice."

They should go back to the bunker to see their friends, Gail thought. Or maybe up to Heaven, to see what was going on up there.

"Home," she said simply.

There's a saying: On the eighth day, Satan laughed. Crowley couldn't actually remember the last time he'd had an honest, genuine laugh; he wasn't really the type. But when he got back behind his desk in Hell, he smiled widely, and for a long time.

END OF BOOK 6.


End file.
